NATO Summit Excludes Ukraine's Invitation to Join Alliance, Stoltenberg Confirms

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said there are no ongoing discussions about Ukraine joining NATO in the upcoming July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, but there will be active discussions on "how to move Ukraine closer to NATO." Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking $40 billion in funding for the first phase of a "Green Marshall Plan" to repair its economy, which includes developing a coal-free iron and steel industry. The country is also seeking access to the estimated $300 billion of frozen Russian central bank reserves to help with its reconstruction.