NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday and declared "unwavering" support for Ukraine in the aftermath of a deadly Russian attack in the north of the country.
Rutte's visit came two days after Russian ballistic missile strikes on the city of Sumy on Sunday killed 35 people and wounded more than 100, according to Ukrainian officials.
The trip took place as the United States, NATO's dominant power, is seeking to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and it followed fresh criticism of Zelenskyy by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rutte said the 32-member alliance was still strongly behind Kyiv, even as it also supported Trump's peace initiative.
"NATO stands with Ukraine," Rutte said at a press conference with Zelenskyy. "You and I know that this has been true all along. I also know that some have called NATO’s support into question in the last couple of months. But let there be no doubt, our support is unwavering."
Rutte said he and Zelenskyy discussed the talks that the Trump administration was holding with both Russia and Ukraine.
"These discussions are not easy, not least in the wake of this horrific violence, but we all support President Trump’s push for peace," he said.
Trump has accused Zelenskyy of starting the war, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But Rutte said there was "no doubt" Moscow had started the conflict.
"Russia is the aggressor, Russia started this war. There's no doubt," he said.
Zelenskyy said the main focus of the talks was strengthening Ukraine's air defence.
"Absolutely everyone sees how urgent Ukraine's need is for air defense systems and missiles for them," he said on X, mentioning Patriot systems, made mainly by U.S. defence companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
"Patriot systems are defensive weapons, and we're not just asking for Patriots, we are ready to purchase them," Zelenskyy said.
"This is a purely political matter, the systems are available in the world, the missiles for the Patriots are also available, and whether we will have sufficient protection from Russian ballistic strikes depends entirely on political decisions."
Zelenskyy and Rutte visited a hospital where Ukrainian soldiers were recovering from their wounds.
Rutte also visited neighbouring Moldova to discuss regional security, President Maia Sandu said.
A new artificial intelligence data centre in Armenia could be used for Western intelligence purposes, including against Russia, according to Russia...
Syria is carefully considering providing...
Scientists, astronauts and space industry leaders gathered in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday for the fourth day of the 77th International ...
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan, informed sources have told AnewZ.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
A new artificial intelligence data centre in Armenia could be used for Western intelligence purposes, including against Russia, according to Russia's Security Council.
Scientists, astronauts and space industry leaders gathered in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday for the fourth day of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Designated as “Science and Academy Day,” discussions focused on the challenges of expanding human activities beyond Earth.
Spanish politicians traded blame on Thursday after the death of an 87-year-old woman who was evicted from her Madrid home exacerbated heated debates over housing ahead of an early election next month, as protests raged on across the country.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 8 October, that Yerevan will discuss the possible construction of railway connections with the Turkish city of Kars and the Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan with Russian officials next week, according to local media.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment