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NATO Leaders Reportedly Urged Zelensky to 'Cool Down' After Criticism of Alliance

© AFP 2023 / DIMITAR DILKOFFNATO head Jens Stoltenberg (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky give a joint press conference in Kyiv, on April 20, 2023.
NATO head Jens Stoltenberg (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky give a joint press conference in Kyiv, on April 20, 2023. - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.07.2023
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - NATO leaders have reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "cool down" during their joint dinner in Vilnius after he voiced harsh criticism of the alliance and accused it of being indecisive when it came to Kiev's membership.
On Tuesday, Zelensky said it was "unprecedented and absurd" that a timeframe was set "neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership."
Later in the day, during the dinner on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Zelensky was told that he had gone too far and advised to look at the full package of NATO commitments to Kiev, a person present at the dinner was cited as saying by US media.
It was further reported that the US delegation was "irritated" by Zelensky's comments as UK representatives were looking for ways to alleviate tensions. As for German officials, they were allegedly trying to find alternatives to resolve the situation.
Flags of Alliance members flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys) - Sputnik International, 1920, 12.07.2023
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Russian Foreign Ministry: Vilnius Summit Shows NATO Back to Cold War Era Behavior
The Wednesday revelation come as earlier reports cited UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace as doubling down on the sentiment. "Whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude," the official said before pointing out that nations were "giving up their stock" of weapons to Ukraine.
In early June, Zelensky said that Kiev hoped to receive a clear invitation to join the bloc at the Vilnius summit. He also said Kiev was disappointed it had not yet received a clear positive response about joining both the European Union and NATO.
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