By Steve Holland
VILNIUS (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday that he looks forward to the day he can welcome the war-torn country to NATO, aiming to take the sting out of recent comments that now was not the time for Ukrainian membership in the military alliance.
“Your resilience and your resolve has been a model for the whole world to see,” Biden told Zelenskiy ahead of a bilateral meeting.
Biden said he understood the Ukrainian leader’s frustration at getting the help he needs quickly enough.
“I promise you the United States is doing everything we can to get you what you need,” Biden said in the presence of reporters. “I look forward to the day when we’re having the meeting celebrating your official, official membership in NATO,” Biden said.
Before he left the U.S. for the NATO trip, Biden told CNN in an interview that he thought the time was not yet right for Ukraine to join the NATO alliance. If Ukraine were to become a member now, Biden said then, “we’re in a war with Russia.” Biden was asked by a reporter on Wednesday how soon after the war he would like Ukraine to join NATO, and responded “an hour and 20 minutes.”
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Heather Timmons; Editing by Howard Goller)
