File:Bolstering Air Defense and Ukraine's Progress Toward NATO Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Jens Stoltenberg Met with Students of the National Defense University. (53688408102).jpg

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited the National Defense University in Kyiv the day before. They met with the students of the institution, who are undergoing professional military training courses in accordance with NATO standards. The NATO Secretary General called this one of the examples of how the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is increasingly integrating Ukraine into its structure and educational programs. During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects of bolstering Ukraine's air defense. The Head of State noted that thanks to the assistance of our partners, our servicemen have mastered modern Western air defense systems and no other country in the Alliance has such a large number of different types. "Today, our experts can tell exactly which system is ideal for us and what we are lacking. Our air defense is not yet universal, it is changing and being enhanced every day. Not only with air defense systems, but also with electronic warfare, anti-drone systems, and so on," he said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian defenders of the sky today face a complex of different threats, and the struggle of technologies continues. "I am confident that we will have modern aircraft that will also be a part of this system," he added. For his part, Jens Stoltenberg noted that once Ukraine becomes a member of the Alliance, it will be fully integrated into the NATO air defense system. "At the same time, we need to make you as interoperable as possible. And integrate you as much as we can," he said. The Head of State emphasized the importance for Ukraine to receive an invitation to join the North Atlantic Alliance and spoke about the work of the NATO-Ukraine Council. "We can convene it without any bureaucratic pauses when Ukraine needs it. This is one of the tools. Today we discussed several new tools with the Secretary General," he summarized.