Zelenskyy attends 1st meeting of NATO-Ukraine Council
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived for his first NATO summit meeting in Lithuania's capital on Wednesday where he received a jovial welcome from world leaders eager to shake his hand -- a mood in keeping with the more conciliatory tone Zelenskyy has struck since landing in Vilnius.
The Ukrainian leader ultimately made a beeline for U.S. President Joe Biden, as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg created a path for him through the crowd of world leaders. The two men -- Biden in a suit and Zelenskyy in a dark green polo -- greeted each other with smiles and shook hands before chatting briefly.
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/biden-zelenskyy-1-rt-ps-230712_1689169593617_hpMain.jpg)
Everyone eventually took their seats for the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council -- the first of its kind -- and Stoltenberg began his remarks with a warm welcome to Zelenskyy, whom he called "our dear friend."
"Welcome to this first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council," Stoltenberg said. "This is truly a historic moment, allies and Ukraine sitting side-by-side as equals to address our common vision of Euro-Atlantic security."
"And I'm really honored to welcome in our midst our dear friend, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine. Welcome to Lithuania and it's great to have you here," he added.
![PHOTO: G7 leaders, including President Joe Biden and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose for a family photo during an event to announce a joint declaration of support to Ukraine, as the NATO summit is held in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 12, 2023.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/family-nato-rt-ps-230712_1689170176317_hpEmbed.jpg)
Stoltenberg proceeded to give a very clear message about where NATO stands on Ukrainian membership, though no details on the pathway as has been a point of contention. He noted the summit has "reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance and we have made decisions to bring Ukraine closer to NATO."
"Today, we meet as equals," he said. "And I look forward to the day we meet as allies."
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett