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.
South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will head to Washington next week for a pivotal meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Seoul's finance ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
The United States is preparing to consolidate its military footprint in Syria, with officials signalling a potential drawdown of up to half its troops in the coming months.
The Trump administration has approved the emergency transfer of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Army, in a move aimed at tightening border security.
The United States is lifting sanctions on a senior Hungarian official, in a move that signals warming ties between Washington and Budapest under President Donald Trump.
With centuries of silence behind them and global momentum finally on their side, Caribbean leaders say the time for polite conversations about slavery reparations has passed, and, the era of demands has begun.
South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will head to Washington next week for a pivotal meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Seoul's finance ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
The United States is preparing to consolidate its military footprint in Syria, with officials signalling a potential drawdown of up to half its troops in the coming months.
The Trump administration has approved the emergency transfer of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Army, in a move aimed at tightening border security.
The United States is lifting sanctions on a senior Hungarian official, in a move that signals warming ties between Washington and Budapest under President Donald Trump.
With centuries of silence behind them and global momentum finally on their side, Caribbean leaders say the time for polite conversations about slavery reparations has passed, and, the era of demands has begun.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
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The death toll from the catastrophic roof collapse at a nightclub in Santo Domingo has risen to 98, with more than 160 people injured, according to Dominican authorities.
A quiet Thursday afternoon at St. Peter’s Basilica turned into something extraordinary, as visitors caught a rare glimpse of Pope Francis — not in his familiar white papal robes, but dressed in black trousers and a striped blanket.
In a dramatic about-face, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 90-day pause on newly implemented tariffs for dozens of countries — a move that eased market turmoil but further escalated tensions with China.
South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will head to Washington next week for a pivotal meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Seoul's finance ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
The United States is preparing to consolidate its military footprint in Syria, with officials signalling a potential drawdown of up to half its troops in the coming months.
The Trump administration has approved the emergency transfer of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Army, in a move aimed at tightening border security.
The United States is lifting sanctions on a senior Hungarian official, in a move that signals warming ties between Washington and Budapest under President Donald Trump.
With centuries of silence behind them and global momentum finally on their side, Caribbean leaders say the time for polite conversations about slavery reparations has passed, and, the era of demands has begun.
South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will head to Washington next week for a pivotal meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Seoul's finance ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
The United States is preparing to consolidate its military footprint in Syria, with officials signalling a potential drawdown of up to half its troops in the coming months.
The Trump administration has approved the emergency transfer of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Army, in a move aimed at tightening border security.
The United States is lifting sanctions on a senior Hungarian official, in a move that signals warming ties between Washington and Budapest under President Donald Trump.
With centuries of silence behind them and global momentum finally on their side, Caribbean leaders say the time for polite conversations about slavery reparations has passed, and, the era of demands has begun.
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