NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Thursday that Kiev is “closer than ever to NATO,” during a surprise visit to Ukraine, which has been confronting the Russian invasion since February 2022.

"Ukraine is currently closer to NATO than ever before," Stoltenberg said during a press conference in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

For his part, Zelensky stressed that Kiev's accession to the alliance is "a matter of time."

“It is a matter of time before Ukraine becomes a legal member of the alliance,” Zelensky said in a joint press conference with Stoltenberg. “We are doing our best to bring this moment closer.”

Zelensky also asked the alliance for more air defense systems to confront "Russian attacks on energy infrastructure" expected this winter.

On the other hand, Stoltenberg announced that the Ukrainian counterattack on the Russian army was “making gradual progress,” denouncing Moscow’s “imperialist delusions.”

Stoltenberg said, "Today your forces are advancing. They are facing fierce fighting, but they are advancing on the ground gradually."

He added, "Ukrainians are fighting for their families" and "their freedom," and "Moscow is fighting for its imperialist illusions."

On the other hand, the British and French Defense Ministers will visit Kiev on Thursday to discuss providing more military aid to Ukraine, which is seeking to obtain more weapons to enhance its counterattack against Russian forces.

This visit comes ahead of the first Defense Industries Forum in Kiev, where Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet with representatives of more than 160 defense companies and 26 countries.