Enlargement of NATO

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO leaders gather for their annual summit this week in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, with crucial issues on the agenda.

NATO allies have reached agreement to raise the alliance's target for military spending to at least 2% of national GDP, two diplomats told Reuters late on Friday.

"The Bulgarian national interest was sold three times in one day". This was stated by BSP leader Kornelia Ninova regarding Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Bulgaria, today's approved declaration of Ukraine's accession to NATO and the decision to sell equipment from the "Belene" NPP to Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday that he is "looking forward" to Sweden's stalled NATO membership bid winning final approval, as the Western alliance prepares for next week's summit.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Biden said he wanted to reiterate that he "fully, fully supports Sweden's membership in NATO."

In an effort to address Turkish objections to Sweden's accession to NATO, senior officials from Türkiye, Sweden and Finland will gather in Brussels today for a crucial meeting.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will stay in office for another year, the 31-nation military alliance decided on Tuesday.

Stoltenberg said in a tweet that he is "honored by NATO Allies' decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024."

"The process of sending of military aid to Ukraine will soon begin", announced Bulgaria's Defense Minister Todor Tagarev. He could not say when the first deliveries would be on Ukrainian territory, but indicated that Kyiv would receive the most necessary resources immediately.

Day 478 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

"Our government will continue to provide valuable practical support to Ukraine as long as it is needed." This was stated by Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev during the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission yesterday, June 15. According to him, NATO should go beyond the Bucharest decisions and promote relations with Ukraine at a higher strategic level.

However, ahead of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, which begins on July 11, where confronting Russia will be high on the agenda, Sir Richard Shirreff, the former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said NATO was not ready for war with Moscow.