Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO, alliance chief says in rare visit to Kyiv

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on a visit to Kyiv Thursday that the alliance's priority was to ensure Ukraine "prevails" in the war against Russia and that a membership plan for Kyiv will be discussed at a summit in July.

"Let me be clear: Ukraine's rightful place is in the euro-Atlantic family. Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO. And over time, our support will help you to make this possible," Stoltenberg told reporters during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

He pledged continued military support for Ukraine, saying that, so far, NATO allies had trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops and provided 65 billion euros ($71.31 billion) of military aid alone.