Zelenskyy praises NATO summit, says official invitation would have been ideal outcome

Zelenskyy also lauded "very positive news" regarding new military aid packages from NATO countries. He met with leaders of the alliance on Wednesday, without immediately providing details.

The Ukrainian leaders thanked Western backers for their ongoing support, but suggested they don't fully understand the realities of war that Ukraine has been facing since Russian forces invaded in February last year.

NATO members have taken steps to expedite Ukraine's membership once the war is over. "The most important thing is to have results, so that we can see concrete steps that bring us closer to NATO," Zelenskyy said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed NATO's unwavering support for Ukraine, pledging that the military alliance would stand with the country for as long as necessary.

He highlighted that NATO had already provided significant support, amounting to tens of billions of dollars, over the past year, and that Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before.

On being asked if NATO's moves at this summit have brought allies closer to war with Russia, Stoltenberg said there's already a fully fledged war going on in Europe with "no risk free option" for NATO.  However, he emphasized that the biggest risk would be if President Putin succeeded, as it would send a dangerous message that military force could be used to violate international law and invade neighboring countries with impunity.

"But the biggest risk is if President Putin wins, because then the message is if you use military force, when he violates international law, when he invades a neighbour, then he gets what he wants," he said.

Stoltenberg firmly asserted that Ukraine has the right to choose its own path and alliances, emphasizing that Moscow should not dictate who can or cannot become a member of NATO. "We can never allow that Moscow starts to decide who can and cannot be a member of NATO. Russia has been against every enlargement of Nato. "It's for Nato allies and Ukraine to decide when to become a member, Moscow doesn't have a veto on that," Stoltenberg added.

He further emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin had underestimated the bravery, courage, and determination of Ukraine's people, armed forces, and leadership. He also noted that Putin had miscalculated the unity and strength of NATO's members in the face of the Russian invasion.