UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS
By Beyza Binnur Donmez
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AA) – The NATO chief on Tuesday said Ukraine will receive a membership invitation when allies agree and conditions are met.
Jens Stoltenberg's remarks came after a North Atlantic Council meeting, which kicked off the two-day NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
"We will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when allies agree and conditions are met," Stoltenberg told reporters.
He said the allies removed the requirement of a membership action plan for Kyiv.
"This will change Ukraine's membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process," he added.
The NATO chief also announced a multi-year assistance program for Ukraine, and the NATO-Ukraine Council, whose inaugural meeting will be held on Wednesday with participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This is a "strong" package to create "a clear path" towards Ukraine's membership to NATO, Stoltenberg said.
Additionally, allies have approved "the most comprehensive defense plans since the end of the Cold War," the NATO chief said, adding that these plans are designed to counter the two main threats that NATO faces – Russia and terrorism.
"Under our new plans, NATO aims to have 300,000 troops at high readiness, including substantial air and naval power," he said. "Robust deterrence and defense require a robust industrial base."
He said that leaders endorsed a new Defense Production Action Plan, which will accelerate joint procurement, boost interoperability, and generate investment and production capacity.
"To do all this, we need to invest more in defense," he urged.
"Our latest estimates show that defense expenditure by European allies and Canada will increase by 8.3% in 2023," he said, calling it "the biggest increase in decades."
Stoltenberg said that 11 allies now reach or exceed the 2% of gross domestic product benchmark, adding: "We expect this number will rise substantially next year."
About China, the NATO chief said: "China is not our adversary, and we should continue to engage."
However, he added: "But Beijing’s increasing assertiveness affects our security."
Separately on Twitter, Stoltenberg said: "Allies took key decisions at a critical moment for our security. We agreed a package to strengthen Ukraine and provide a clear path towards NATO. We also approved our most comprehensive defence plans since the Cold War, backed by an enduring commitment to invest more in defence."
Earlier, before heading to Vilnius, the Ukrainian president said it would be "absurd" if NATO leaders did not offer his country a timeframe for membership.