Trade and Security on Agenda as India’s Modi Visits Japan
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Japan on Thursday to meet his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, with trade and security high on the...
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 powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
China’s largest city and global financial hub, Shanghai, has set a new heat record, state media reported on Saturday. Temperatures in the city exceeded 35°C (95°F) for 25 consecutive days, breaking the previous record set in 1926.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Japan on Thursday to meet his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, with trade and security high on the agenda.
Spain has condemned the U.S. decision to revoke visas for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials, calling it “unacceptable” and urging the European Union to take a leading role in defending Palestinian representation at the UN.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is holding a series of high-level meetings with world leaders in Tianjin today, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.
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