Ukrainian president, senior NATO official meet on support for Kyiv

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Robert Bauer, chair of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee, discussed support for Kyiv during a bilateral meeting, the presidential press service reported Thursday.

Zelensky thanked Bauer for his visit, describing it as a strong signal of support for Ukraine.

He informed Bauer about Ukraine's priority defense needs, in particular the necessity for additional air defense systems.

Zelensky and Bauer discussed opportunities to strengthen the alliance's coordination role in supporting Ukraine, in particular in enhancing its defense capabilities.

Besides, the parties exchanged their views on Ukraine's future military potential and its movement toward NATO standards.

Ukraine's expectations from the NATO summit, which is set to take place in Washington, the United States, in July, was another topic of the talks.

Bauer arrived in Kyiv for his first visit since the start of the full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier in the day, Bauer participated in the 16th annual Kyiv Security Forum, according to local media reports.