NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Alliance has made its strongest decision regarding Ukraine's path to membership with a full awareness that Moscow will protest.

"The biggest risk for Europe would be if President Putin succeeds. Because that would mean he achieved his goals by violating international law and using force. It would be a tragedy for Ukraine but also a danger to us," Stoltenberg said, answering questions about the Kremlin's warning regarding expected security guarantees for Ukraine from individual NATO member states, during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday.

According to the Secretary General, that is why NATO members clearly state that Ukraine has the right to choose its own path and decide which defence alliances it wants to be a part of.

"Therefore, we will never allow Moscow to decide who can or cannot be a member of the Alliance," Stoltenberg said.

He reminded that Russia has been opposed to any NATO expansion.

"That is why we are moving Ukraine closer to NATO with today's decisions, which are the strongest ever taken, with a full awareness that Moscow will protest. It was the same when Finland, Sweden, or North Macedonia joined," the Secretary General noted.

As reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy radically changed his stance on NATO's decision regarding Ukraine following harsh criticism the day before.

"The summit results are good, but if there was an invitation, they would be perfect," Zelenskyy stressed.