Zelensky, Rasmussen meet in Kyiv

This is said in a statement published on the website of the Ukrainian president, Ukrinform reports.

“President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO in 2009-2014 and Founding Chairman of Rasmussen Global, who is on a visit to Ukraine,” the statement says.

President Zelensky thanked Rasmussen for his attention to the security and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. He emphasized the importance of the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, which the G7 countries approved at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and stressed the need to conclude bilateral agreements on security commitments in accordance with this declaration. The first such agreement has already been signed with the United Kingdom, and negotiations are underway to conclude relevant documents with a number of other countries.

"I am grateful to the group you and Andriy Yermak established for their help in drafting the Kyiv Security Compact, which formed the basis of the Vilnius Declaration and provides for such significant security commitments. We already have the first results: a very important security document has been signed with the UK. The work with other states is ongoing. I hope to see the result in the nearest future," the President said.

For his part, the former NATO Secretary General noted the efforts of Volodymyr Zelensky, who has kept the situation in Ukraine high on the global agenda.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Andriy Yermak briefed the President about the plans to establish an international working group on security issues and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that this working group would facilitate the integration of our country into the Euro-Atlantic security space. According to him, Ukraine, as a future NATO member, will be able to significantly enhance the Alliance's potential, as the Ukrainian army has invaluable experience in waging a full-scale war against Russia.

As Ukrinform previously reported, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen presented in Kyiv the international working group on security issues and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, which is to facilitate Ukraine's movement toward the Alliance.

Photo: Ukrainian President’s Office