NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is in Ukraine on Thursday, a NATO official confirmed, visiting the country for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
The surprise trip, coming more than a year after the war began, is highly sensitive and arrives at a time when Ukrainian officials are pushing the Western military alliance to give Kyiv a clearer path to membership.
Ukraine’s government formally requested “accelerated accession” to join NATO in September last year. But while NATO promised in 2008 that Ukraine will eventually become a member, most allies — including the U.S. — have been wary of creating a concrete pathway to the alliance for Kyiv while war rages on.
The issue has fueled frustration and disagreements within the alliance. While all allies agree Ukraine cannot become part of NATO right now, some Eastern flank members are pushing for the alliance to give Kyiv at least a symbolic gesture that it is moving closer to NATO.
The debate will likely intensify ahead of a NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for July.
