Ukraine Leaves NATO Summit With Security Assurances, but No Clear Path to Membership

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) delivers his speech as he is flanked by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an event with G7 leaders to announce a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine during the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

A day after he called NATO leaders “absurd” for failing to clarify a timeline for Ukraine’s long-deliberated entry into the 32-nation alliance, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was far more upbeat on July 12 as NATO’s two-day summit in Lithuania neared its conclusion.

He may not have secured the big win—advancing Ukraine’s stalled 2008 request to join NATO—but Mr. Zelenskyy will be returning to Kyiv with many stocking stuffers, including security guarantees from Group of Seven (G7) nations and a seat at the newly formed NATO-Ukraine Council.