KIEV, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kiev is ready to speed up preparations for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said here on Thursday.

"Today, we are ready to prove with our deeds that Ukraine deserves this format of relations with the alliance," Zelensky said during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The NATO delegation headed by Stoltenberg visited Odessa and Kiev on Wednesday and Thursday and held meetings with senior Ukrainian officials during the two-day visit.