NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg visited Ukraine for the first time since Russia invaded more than a year ago on Thursday i.e. April 20, a highly significant trip that shows the alliance's commitment to assisting Kyiv in defending itself.
According to media reports, Stoltenberg also paid tribute to those who gave their lives in defence of their country against Russian invaders. In addition, he examined Russian military antiques on display in a well-known Kyiv square.
The visit, which came just two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Ukraine, is significant, although its actual goal was not immediately evident.
Despite NATO's lack of an official presence in Ukraine, Stoltenberg has been the alliance's most outspoken voice throughout the conflict.
He has been essential in obtaining and coordinating supplies from the organization's 31 member countries, including arms, ammunition, and training for Ukraine's beleaguered military.
Stoltenberg had visited Kyiv before the war, but this was his first visit during the fighting, highlighting the alliance's longtime support for Ukraine's freedom.
Meanwhile, Stoltenberg invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the NATO meeting in July. With Moscow claiming to have conquered four parts of Ukraine, Kyiv submitted its application to NATO.
NATO, which was founded to confront the Soviet Union, has long dreaded getting drawn into a wide-scale war with nuclear-armed Russia.
High-level visits have become more common as the West has evolved from cautiously delivering helmets and uniforms to tanks, bombers, and powerful missile systems.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, stopping Ukraine from joining NATO remains one of the goals of Moscow's "special military operation."
Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Ukraine's entrance would constitute a "serious, significant threat to our country, to our country's security."
Russia launched a series of strikes against Ukrainian sites in the last 24 hours, including 26 unmanned Shahed-136 drones, 21 of which Ukrainian air defences shot down, according to Ukraine's military command on Thursday.
