This week, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, led by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, arrived in Ukraine. One day, the delegation spent in Odessa, where four ships of the Allies arrived at once. There was a speech before the cadets of the Odessa Naval Academy. The following day, delegates arrived in Kyiv, where Stoltenberg and President Vladimir Zelensky had talks in the morning. According to the Ukrainian leader, the parties agreed on an updated consolidated package of projects and practical measures, and discussed the prospects of cooperation within the framework of NATO's enhanced capabilities. "I have proved today that Ukraine is ready to reach this new level of partnership with the Alliance," Zelensky said. 

TSN Weekly reporter Andriy Tsapliyenko interviewed the NATO Secretary General exclusively. During the conversation, Jens Stoltenberg assured that Ukraine would be a member of the Alliance. As an example, he cited the experience of Northern Macedonia, which will become a full member of NATO in early 2020.

- Thank you, Secretary General, for being with us these days. A key issue is Ukraine's membership in NATO through the Membership Action Plan. Is this a realistic scenario or a vain hope? I think you understand that Russia staged a war in Ukraine precisely to prevent us from joining NATO. So, NATO membership, if most Ukrainians support it, will happen in 10, 20 years or never?

- It is impossible to make any specific schedule. All I can say is that all the Allies agreed back in 2008 at the Bucharest Summit (and I was then the Prime Minister of Norway) that Ukraine would become a NATO member. But now is the time to focus on reform: how to strengthen your defense and security structures, how to modernize your governance structure and, of course, how to combat corruption. And by doing this, you will improve the lives of ordinary Ukrainians today. And also, move on to NATO membership. Of course, no one can say exactly when it will be, but if we look at other countries, we will see that NATO's doors always remain open. Montenegro joined NATO just two years ago, with Northern Macedonia joining NATO in a few months. And we've seen it before, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, after the Cold War. Poland, Baltic States. No one even dreamed of imagining that they would be in NATO. They are now full members of NATO. We support your efforts, help you implement reforms, modernize society, and thus join NATO.