"There will also be a discussion about frameworks for Ukraine. I think it's a bit early for security frameworks for Ukraine, it's too early to conclude. Of course, these issues will be discussed at the [Vilnius] summit, but I don't expect any final conclusion in the midst of a war," he told reporters at a joint press conference with Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins in NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Last month, Stoltenberg said Ukraine would eventually join the bloc, as all NATO members support its ambitions. This idea was rejected by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
In September 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine would apply for accelerated NATO membership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was closely monitoring the situation, and pointed out that Kiev's orientation toward the alliance was one of the reasons for the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine last year.