U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken notes Ukraine's progress in various areas: from defense to reforms in the country.

"Ukraine has made some remarkable progress in recent months. It pushed Russia's fleet back from the Black Sea, opening up shipping lanes to get grain to the world, and in fact exports through the Black Sea now equal or exceed exports before the Russian aggression in February of 2022. Ukraine is attracting more and more private investment, and it is valiantly holding ground on the battlefield in the face of an ongoing Russian onslaught," Blinken said at a briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

He also noted that Ukraine is making progress on the governance and security reforms discussed at today's meetings, including increasing resources for anti-corruption institutions and increasing transparency and accountability in the military assistance allies provide to Ukraine.

"And I think this progress shows that Ukraine is taking our recommendations – the recommendations of all Allies – seriously, doing the hard work to meet NATO's high standards," the state secretary said.

"We reaffirmed that Ukraine's future is in NATO. Our goal now is to create a bridge to Ukraine's full membership, offering additional support and greater cooperation, as Ukraine makes the reforms necessary to join the Alliance," he stressed.