NATO leaders, including US President Joe Biden, are expected to agree next week to help modernize Ukraine’s armed forces, create a new high-level forum for consultations, and reaffirm that Ukraine will join the alliance one day, as stated by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday. However, membership talks for Ukraine will not be initiated soon. At the upcoming two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, leaders will also discuss boosting defense spending and potentially welcoming Sweden as the next member of the world’s biggest security organization, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s objections might pose a challenge. The leaders aim to provide assistance to ensure full interoperability between the Ukrainian armed forces and NATO and establish a NATO-Ukraine Council for crisis talks. Stoltenberg emphasized the need to strengthen Ukraine and set out a vision for its future. The US, Germany, and some other allies believe that Ukraine should not be invited to join while it’s at war, to avoid further escalation with Russia. NATO is urging its allies to increase their military budgets, with the goal of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense. While some progress has been made, only 11 allies are expected to reach the 2% goal by 2023. Sweden’s future at NATO remains uncertain as Turkish objections and Hungary’s approval delay pose challenges. A unanimous approval of all 31 members is required for NATO expansion.