NATO offers security assurances for Ukraine

Kyiv has been pushing for rapid membership of the military bloc

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The US and global allies unveiled new security assurances for Ukraine at a NATO summit on Wednesday, designed to bolster the country's defences against Russia over the long haul while Kyiv strives for membership of the alliance.

The prospect of long-term protection from members of the world's most powerful military bloc comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy decried as "absurd" a refusal to offer an invite or timetable for Ukraine's entry into NATO.

Ukraine has been pushing for rapid membership while fighting a Russian invasion unleashed in February 2022 that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

Instead, a declaration by the G7 grouping of the world's most industrialized countries launched a framework for bilateral negotiations to provide military and financial support, intelligence sharing and a promise of immediate steps if Russia should attack again.