On 17 February 2022, Georgian Defence Minister, Juansher Burchuladze, was quoted as saying that joining NATO is the only way to preserve Georgia’s territorial integrity. This occurred following a meeting with Stoltenberg in Brussels.[44] Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who took office in 2018, has conceded that NATO membership might not be possible while Russia occupies Georgian territory, and has sought to focus on European Union membership,[45] which Georgia submitted its application for in May 2022.[46]