NATO Sec-Gen Visits Kyiv For First Time Since Russian Invasion

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. This marks the first visit to the Ukrainian capital for the NATO figurehead since Russia launched its invasion in Feb 2022. As with visits from many global leaders it was not publicised beforehand for security reasons.

• The Zelenskyy administration is continuing to seek 'accelerated accession' into the military alliance ahead of the NATO leaders' summit taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania in July.
• This appears an unlikely prospect in the short-to-medium term, with NATO's rules stating that countries with border disputes cannot join the organisation as well as the more pressing matter of the course of the war still to be determined.
• Defence ministers from the Ukraine Contact Group meet at Ramstein air base in Germany on Friday 21 April to discuss increasing the quantity and speed of ammo and arms supply to Ukrainian forces. Stoltenberg to deliver doorstep remarks at 0910CET followed by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at 1000CET and a press conference with Austin and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Milley at 1630CET. Link to livestream here.