now to our other lead Story the NATO Leadership Summit began today with President Biden and allies meeting to discuss Ukraine's security new defense plans and a re-commitment to Unity against Russian aggression Laura Barone Lopez begins our coverage from the summit site in Vilnius Lithuania a show of force to open the 74th NATO Summit with the alliance created to defend against Russian aggression agreeing to welcome its 32nd member Sweden President Putin thinks the way he succeeds is to Greek NATO not going to do that but Unity inside NATO's doors met a call for Action outside where President Vladimir zielinski delivered a passionate case for Ukraine's entry into the alliance and for stronger security commitments to support the war NATO NATO will give Ukraine security Ukraine will make the alliance stronger allies have agreed a package of three elements to bring Ukraine closer to Nato NATO's offering fell short of zelinski's Demands the new communique calls for multi-year military and security assistance for the country a louder voice in NATO via a new NATO Ukraine Council and an intention to invite Ukraine to join NATO when the Country meets the alliance's conditions President Biden endorsed the package and we agree on the language that that we've proposed that you proposed relative to the future of Ukraine being able to join NATO and we're looking for continued United native but earlier on Tuesday zelinski vented frustration on Twitter writing it's unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation to Nato nor for Ukraine's membership while at the same time vague wording about conditions is added for Russia this means motivation to continue its Terror there's never been a stronger message from NATO at any time both when it comes to the political message on the path forward for membership and the concrete support from NATO allies Military Support but also the Practical support but one thing in Vilnius zielinski balanced disappointment with trust in the alliance today I started my journey with faith and solutions with faith and strong partners with faith in NATO those Rifts present throughout the war flared up after an 11th Hour deal paved the way for Sweden to join NATO with Turkish president Richard taib erdogan dropping his objections President Biden met with erdogan today after announcing the U.S would move ahead to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Turkey a long-awaited victory for erdogan that White House National Security adviser Jake Sullivan said was not offered in exchange for Swedish membership this is in our national interests it's in the interests of NATO that turkey get that capability he has placed no caveats or conditions on that it takes Congressional approval something Democratic senator Jean Shaheen who co-led a bipartisan delegation to Vilnius said is on the table we can see something moved forward when we see the ratification all the while the war in Ukraine goes on overnight Russian forces attacked Kiev and Odessa in drone strikes where Ukrainian forces struck down 26 of the 28 drones but one month into the Ukrainian counter-offensive efforts to regain territory from Russia move slower than expected and artillery is running low back in Vilnius Ukraine welcomed a commitment by 11 Allied countries to provide fighter jet training and France announced it would send long-range missiles to the Ukrainian forces we have decided to deliver new deep strike missiles to Ukraine they will therefore be deployed in accordance with the commitments we have made with them Ukraine has an ally in the summit's host City where thousands of blue and yellow flags line the streets an unmistakable signal of support for president zielinski who will meet with President Biden and NATO leaders tomorrow once again to press his case many at the summit are watching that meeting closely tomorrow between President Biden and president zielinski especially as President Biden has refused to back off his position that the conflict must be over before Ukraine can gain full membership to Nato Laura there's so much to talk about here but let's start with that deal that turkey is now allowing Sweden to potentially become the 32nd NATO member what do we know about how that deal came together Amna today National Security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to us reporters ahead of the first day saying there were extensive conversations and the days leading up to this Summit between the United States turkey and Sweden and that the white house uh repeatedly pressed turkey to grant that a session for Sweden as quickly as possible also as a part of this Omni I was told by a number of Senators today who were here on a bipartisan codel at the summit that they were pleased that they heard that Greece was involved in those conversations and they were happy about that because of the fact that Greece had some reservations about these f-16s being transferred over to Turkey and potentially being used in their Maritime border dispute so Laura NATO issued its communique on the status of Ukraine's membership today is that any different than what's been promised in the past by the alliance so one former Ambassador that I spoke to today Amna singled out a specific line where in the communique it said that Ukraine's future is in NATO and they said that that stronger language that than they have seen in the past that being said a number of other sources that I spoke to here at the summit said that they were disappointed with what that communique laid out in terms of Ukraine's membership the fact that it stipulated unspecified conditions that will be applied to Ukraine despite the fact that the membership action plan requirement which would require countries seeking membership to Nato to make military and democracy reforms that requirement was waived for Ukraine but yet these unspecified conditions were applied they called it disappointing puzzling and a potentially a step backward so Laura when it comes to Ukraine's potential membership in NATO what are some of the key outstanding issues what are you tracking Omni at the end of the day what did not happen for Ukraine was a clear pathway established for when and how they will become a NATO member essentially what is happening is that their the core problem has not been addressed Amna and that core problem applies to the fact that what does at War mean and when is the exact moment that Ukraine can become a member Jake Sullivan the National Security advisor was asked about this specifically today by reporters what at War means and when the White House would consider that conflict to be at its end and then acceptable for Ukraine to join NATO and he said that he would not Define that at all and so that was some frustration that I heard from sources as they saw what came out of the summit today that is Laura Barone Lopez reporting for us from the NATO Summit in Vilnius Lithuania Laura thank you good to see you thank you [Music] foreign [Music]