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.
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Azerbaijan and Syria have reached an agreement to establish a joint business council aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two nations, according to the Syrian embassy in Azerbaijan.
Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on sledges and skis.
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" on Venezuelan oil exports, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to advance EU membership discussions and secure stricter sanctions on Russia during a meeting on Wednesday as Cyprus took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
President Ilham Aliyev said 2025 has politically closed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as a Trump-era reset in U.S. ties, new transport corridors and a push into AI, renewables and defence production reshape Azerbaijan’s priorities.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" on Venezuelan oil exports, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to advance EU membership discussions and secure stricter sanctions on Russia during a meeting on Wednesday as Cyprus took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
Türkiye is considering draft legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from opening social-media accounts, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş has said.
Türkiye is prepared to “assume responsibility” for the security of the Black Sea once a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
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