US President Joe Biden met during the NATO summit in Lithuania with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodomyr Zelensky.
Biden has expressed US support for Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invaders, saying that the future of the country is in NATO.
"Mr. Zelensky and I talked about the kind of guarantees that we can give in the meantime... the long-term commitments that we are making are underpinned by the notion that in the meantime, we will provide security to Ukraine for its needs and against any aggression that may occur." , Biden said.
Asked by reporters how long it will take Ukraine to become a member of NATO after the war is over, Biden said "1 hour and 20 minutes," a response that drew laughter from the audience.
Joe Biden responded to a journalist's question "how soon after the war would you like Ukraine to become a NATO member?"
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 12, 2023
The American president replied that it would take "one hour and 20 minutes." pic.twitter.com/hAS1ELAdDn