NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has visited Kyiv for the first time since the Russian invasion, in a show of the military alliance's support for Ukraine. The trip, which was made by surprise on Thursday, comes as Ukrainian troops prepare a counteroffensive for the coming weeks.
Stoltenberg honored Ukrainian soldiers killed in combat in the east of the country with a wreath, and reviewed damaged Russian armored vehicles on display in the capital's Plaza San Miguel.
A NATO official confirmed this morning the information about the visit, after a Ukrainian media published yesterday photos of Stoltenberg in the center of Kyiv.
NATO member states are the main support for Ukraine in defending against Russian invasion and have provided Kiev with $65 billion worth of military aid since the start of the conflict. Some supplies that are essential for Ukraine, which has been preparing a counteroffensive for months.
For its part, Russia sees in this support proof that the Alliance and the United States are waging a war to control Ukraine and continues to denounce NATO's expansion to its borders.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that one of Moscow's goals in Ukraine was to prevent the country from joining NATO. "Otherwise, it would pose a serious threat to our country and its security," he said.
However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, two countries, Finland and Sweden, have already renounced their historic policy of neutrality to apply for NATO membership.
Also the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, insisted on an "accelerated NATO membership" for his country, while the Atlantic Alliance prefers to keep the doors closed to accession until the end of the war.
