Pres. Biden gives speech at NATO Summit on support for Ukraine

(ABC 6 News) – President Joe Biden is scheduled to address the NATO Summit in Lithuania on Wednesday, signaling support for Ukraine and demonstrating the strength of the NATO alliance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his in-person meeting with President Biden in Lithuania’s capital on Wednesday was “very good” and “powerful.”

Zelenskyy took to Twitter after their meeting ended in Vilnius, saying it lasted “twice as long as planned” and “was as meaningful as it needed to be.”

“If the protocol had not stopped the meeting, we would have talked even longer,” he tweeted.

Zelenskyy said their meeting covered “all the topics,” including long-term support for Ukraine, weapons, politics and NATO membership.

In a joint declaration released Wednesday, the leaders of the Group of Seven reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment to the strategic objective of a free, independent, democratic and sovereign Ukraine.”

“We will stand with Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression, for as long as it takes,” the joint declaration states.

G-7 leaders wrote in the joint declaration that they are working to “formalize” their “enduring support to Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, rebuilds its economy, protects its citizens, and pursues integration into the Euro-Atlantic community.”

They also said they will “work with Ukraine” on an “enhanced package of security commitments and arrangements in case of future aggression to enable Ukraine to defend its territory and sovereignty.”

The G-7 is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.