Kiev, Ukraine — New NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Ukraine on Thursday, his first official trip since assuming office, and pledged the alliance’s sustained support for Kyiv in its conflict with Russia.
Rutte visited with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where air raid sirens sounded twice.
When he started office on Tuesday, NATO’s new secretary-general promised to help bolster up Western backing for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion since February 2022 and has been on the defensive for much of this year due to a continuous Russian army push in the country’s eastern regions.
New NATO Chief Mark Rutte Visits Ukraine In His First Trip Since Taking Office
Rutte expressed confidence that he can collaborate with whoever is elected president of the United States, the alliance’s most powerful member, in November. That might be a pivotal moment in Ukraine’s efforts to maintain Western support.
Zelenskyy said he spoke with Rutte about components of Ukraine’s so-called victory plan ahead of a NATO conference next week at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base. The gathering brings together defense leaders from over 50 partner countries who meet regularly to discuss weaponry aid for the conflict.
The two also talked about the battlefield conditions and the unique requirements of Ukrainian military units. Zelenskyy repeated that Ukraine requires more weapons, notably long-range weapons, which it has always sought.
When asked if the Middle East war would influence the timescale he had planned for the triumph, Zelenskyy highlighted that the United States and Britain claim Iran has supplied Russia with missiles and drones for use against Ukraine.
He also urged Western countries to lift limitations on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range weapons to launch strikes deep within Russia.
Of course, we don’t want Ukraine to be forgotten. But the simplest way to avoid forgetting about Ukraine is to provide the required weapons and permissions,” Zelenskyy stated. “And to help shoot down … the same Iranian missiles or drones, just as they are shot down over Israel, to shoot them down in the same way over Ukraine.”
Rutte emphasized the alliance’s unwavering support for Ukraine, stating that “Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before.”
He stated that recent NATO actions “build a bridge to NATO membership” for Ukraine, including 40 billion euros ($44 billion) in financing support, bilateral security agreements among partners, and the establishment of a new NATO headquarters to coordinate assistance and training.
Rutte arrived after a Russian glide bomb hit a five-story apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, hurting at least 12 people, including a three-year-old girl, local officials said Thursday.
On Wednesday night, a device exploded between the building’s third and fourth floors, causing a fire, according to Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Firefighters searched through the smoke and wreckage for survivors.
The city of Kharkiv, located around 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of aerial attacks throughout the three-year-old war.
Glider bombs, which have become increasingly widespread during the war, have frightened residents and bludgeoned the Ukrainian army’s front-line fortifications. Ukraine has no effective countermeasures against glide bombs launched from Russian planes within Russia.
They were a major weapon in Russia’s conquest of the strategically important town of Vuhledar on Wednesday, as Russian forces wreaked havoc on the eastern Donetsk region, forcing exhausted Ukrainian troops to flee from devastated towns and villages.
During a news conference with Rutte, Zelenskyy stated that it was appropriate for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from Vuhledar so that they might fight another day. Earlier, he noted that the recent Kharkiv incident showed the critical need for additional support from Ukraine’s Western friends.
Zelensky recently met with US officials to assure continued Western military backing.
New NATO Chief Mark Rutte Visits Ukraine In His First Trip Since Taking Office
Russia has held the battlefield initiative since late last year, when a Ukrainian counteroffensive stalled. Ukraine is dealing with a catastrophic manpower shortage on the front lines and is struggling to stave off Russia’s relentless onslaught.
Though Russia’s military advances have been gradual, its consistent forward movement is paying off as the Ukrainians are pushed back and cede terrain.
Both sides have maintained regular cross-border aerial strikes, typically at night.
Ukraine’s air force claimed Thursday that 78 of the 105 Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight were destroyed as 15 districts of the nation were targeted.
Meanwhile, the Russian military intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The drones were destroyed throughout four Russian areas bordering Ukraine: Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and Voronezh, according to the report.
SOURCE | AP
