'The most imminent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation,' he added. Stoltenberg says the summit has moved Ukraine 'closer to NATO membership,' but hesitated to speculate about its exact path forward. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the summit without receiving a clear timeline for membership, but with pledges for long-term security assistance from the U.S. Meanwhile NATO members have agreed that Ukraine can only join after the war ends, in part because earlier admission would draw the rest of the alliance into direct conflict with Russia. 'So this is a good day for Sweden and a good day for the whole of NATO,' Stoltenberg says, crediting President Biden with making it possible. He has since said that Turkish lawmakers would take up ratification in October. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to withdraw his objection Monday after meeting with Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. But earlier this week, that stance shifted. Turkey blocked Sweden's bid, saying it wasn't doing enough to crack down on Kurdish militant groups that Turkey considers terrorists. Russia's invasion pushed Finland, Sweden and Ukraine to apply for membership last year, though only Finland met the requirements to join in time for the summit. The war was front and center at the gathering in Vilnius, Lithuania, where leaders from NATO's 31 member countries discussed support for Ukraine, national defense spending and the makeup of the alliance itself. 'The reality is that Putin now is getting the exact opposite of what he wanted when he went to war against Ukraine,' says Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, referring to Russia's concerns about NATO expanding eastward.

NATO wrapped up a key summit this week with one new member at the table and two more on the way - a significant expansion of the alliance that, its head says, shows Russia miscalculated when it invaded Ukraine.

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