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WASHINGTON -- NATO leaders gathered in Washington for a landmark summit are promising to bolster support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, with the United States saying F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Kyiv while a draft communique being worked on notes Ukraine's "irreversible path" to membership in the military alliance.

As NATO leaders began streaming into the main summit venue on July 10, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that "as we speak, the transfer of F-16 jets is under way, coming from Denmark, coming from the Netherlands."

A joint statement from the countries involved confirmed Blinken's comments, with the fighters expected to arrive during the summer.

"This is a clear signal that Russia's ability to terrorize Ukrainian people, cities, and communities will continue to reduce," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who for months has been urging NATO leaders to speed up deliveries of all types of weaponry, especially jets and anti-missile systems as Russia intensifies its air campaign.

The alliance is set to discuss a proposal by outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to provide Ukraine with 40 billion euros ($43 billion) in military aid for next year, after member states couldn't agree on a multiyear military aid package for Ukraine that Stoltenberg had proposed.

While Zelenskiy won't get the full invitation to join NATO that he has pushed for in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion, a communique drafted by the alliance, seen by RFE/RL, highlights Ukraine's "right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future."

"As Ukraine continues this vital work [towards meeting NATO membership requirements], we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership," it says.

"We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met," the draft, which some see as a way to make it harder for any back-door deal with Moscow on a peace agreement that excludes Ukraine from the alliance, says.

President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Russian demands for a peace settlement include Ukraine's exclusion from NATO.

In opening the summit on July 9, U.S. President Joe Biden said Russia was seeking "nothing less" than to "wipe Ukraine off the map," but he forcefully insisted that Putin will not prevail and announced that Washington and its allies will provide Ukraine with further weapons, including additional air-defense systems.

Hours later, Zelenskiy called on U.S. leaders to be "strong" and "uncompromising" in helping to defend his country's democracy against Putin's aggression.

"Strong decisions are needed and we are waiting for them," Zelenskiy said during a discussion he headlined at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington.

In addition to the announcement on F-16s, officials have been preparing further support for Kyiv that will be unveiled over the course of the summit.

White House national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said on July 9 that the alliance will announce a new NATO military command in Germany, led by a three-star general, to coordinate the training and equipping of Ukrainian troops. It will also station a senior NATO representative in Kyiv.

The summit takes place against the backdrop of U.S. political uncertainty and Russia's intensification of its bombing of Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said that should Russia be victorious in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it would embolden Iran, China, and North Korea and shape the global-security environment for decades to come.

"There are no risk-free options with an aggressive Russia as a neighbor," Stoltenberg said. "There are no risk-free options in a war. And remember, the biggest cost and the greatest risk will be if Russia wins in Ukraine. We cannot let that happen."

The summit also comes after one of the worst Russian air attacks on the country since the Kremlin launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The barrage of missiles fired across Ukraine on July 8 struck several civilian facilities, including Kyiv's Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, killing at least 43 people in total and injuring scores more in what Biden called a "horrific reminder of Russia's brutality."

Officials and analysts have noted recently that as Russia steps up its attacks, it appears to positioning itself for a long-term conflict.

A senior NATO official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said that despite dwindling resources, Russia would likely be able to maintain its war economy for three to four years.

However, the official added that the Kremlin lacked the munitions and troops to launch a major offensive against Ukraine in the near term.

Still, NATO unity on Ukraine is likely to be challenged at the summit by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose pro-Russian views have irked the alliance.

Orban, who just took over the rotating presidency of the EU, flew to Moscow last week and then to China without informing the bloc ahead of time to discuss an end to the war with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Defense spending by NATO members will be another hot topic at the summit. NATO members committed a decade ago to reach a defense spending target of at least 2 percent of gross national product by 2024. Stoltenberg said that 23 of the alliance's 32 members will meet that target this year.

Biden's performance at the summit will also be closely watched amid concerns about his age and ability to lead after a dismal showing in a debate with Republican rival Donald Trump as Americans prepare to vote in a presidential election on November 5.

A growing number of fellow Democrats have called for Biden to end his reelection campaign since the debate on June 26.

Biden's poor debate performance and the specter of another Trump presidency has many European allies worried.

With reporting by RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak