The main message that Ukraine wants to convey at the NATO Summit in Washington is that we want peace, not appeasement.

This was stated by the Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine during a meeting with the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, in Vilnius.

"Our request is maximum: we want NATO membership. We are grateful to the European Union and 19 individual countries, including Lithuania and the United States, for the security agreements concluded and signed with Ukraine. However, we are aware that only full membership in NATO will provide us with full protection," said Olena Kondratiuk.

"At the same time, we are realistic. Ukraine will not receive an invitation to join NATO this summer in Washington. Therefore, I stand in solidarity with the President Zelenskyi's position: the Ukrainian people expect concrete decisions from the NATO summit to ensure that they are able to defend themselves – and the world – from russian aggression. We are talking about modern weapons and air defence equipment," the Ukrainian Vice Speaker said at the meeting with her Lithuanian counterpart.

Olena Kondratiuk asked Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen to voice this position at the meeting of the Speakers of Parliaments of NATO Member Countries that will precede the main summit. Ruslan Stefanchuk will participate in the speakers' meeting on behalf of Ukraine.

In addition, the Ukrainian Vice-Speaker suggested raising the issue of using air defence systems located in Ukraine's neighbouring countries to protect Ukrainian skies in the border regions.

The Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, said: "It is very important that the NATO Summit demonstrates that Ukraine's path to NATO is irreversible. But it is equally important to show the irreversible path to Ukraine's victory in the war."

The Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk is on an official visit to Lithuania at the invitation of the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen. Olena Kondratiuk represents Ukraine at the official events marking Lithuania's Statehood Day.