Zelenskyy to attend meeting of NATO defence ministers today
17 October 07:27President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers. It will take place today, 17 October, in Brussels. This was reported by Komersant Ukrainian with reference to the Alliance’s press service.
The Ukrainian president will reportedly arrive at NATO headquarters this evening. There, he will first meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
A joint press conference between Zelenskyy and Rutte is also expected .
The Council will meet at the ministerial level in the evening of 17 October. At that time, NATO defence ministers will meet with their Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov.
The participants are expected to discuss the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and the immediate needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They will also discuss the training of the Ukrainian military and the allocation of €40 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
As a reminder, the EU summit will also take place on 17 October, to which European Council President Charles Michel has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. There, the head of state will present a plan for Ukraine’s victory in the war against Russia.
Reference
The NATO-Ukraine Council was established at the NATO Summit in July 2023 and serves as a forum for joint consultations, decision-making and activities between NATO and Ukraine.
The Council meetings are usually attended by NATO ambassadors and Ukrainian officials.
The last meeting of the Council took place on 28 August, when NATO Allies confirmed that they were increasing their military assistance to Ukraine.