Chief NATO reconfirms support for Ukraine during Odessa visit

Rutte visited Ukraine on Tuesday and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the town of Odessa.

I am here today because I believe that the people of Ukraine deserve true peace, security and protection in their country, at their homes”, the official said. NATO during a joint conference with Zelensky.

Both visited the hospital in Odessa and met with injured Ukrainian soldiers.

His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles hit the town of Sumi, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and injured 119 others. The northeastern town is located about 30km from Ukraine's border with Russia. It was the second large-scale attack in more than a week that resulted in numerous civilian casualties.

This is also Rutte's first visit to Ukraine since US President Donald Trump took the lead in ceasefire negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, which have included several round talks in Saudi Arabia.

“These discussions are not easy, especially after this horrible violence,” said the official of the NATO, referring to the latest attacks. But we all support President Trump's peace effort”.

Ukraine has supported the broad US-proposed ceasefire agreement, yet Russia has effectively blocked the process by setting conditions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European partners are continuing to develop infrastructure for a coalition that is expected to function as a long-term security guarantee aimed at preventing future Russian aggression after reaching a ceasefire.

Amid this uncertainty and warnings from the United States that Europe should take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in the future, this multinational force is seen as a first test of the continent's readiness to defend itself and its interests.

Zelensky said Turkey could play an important role in providing future security guarantees to the Black Sea for Ukraine.

This is not about ending the war, unfortunately,” said Zelensky, commenting on the security meeting being held in Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's about what comes after Ukraine's security guarantees after a ceasefire. ”

He said military representatives from Ukraine, France, Great Britain and Turkey are discussing the presence of a military contingent on the Black Sea as part of these guarantees.

The fact that these talks are continuing, that we are preparing for this hoped-for event and that it is expected to be achieved soon NATO tries to run this in the direction that we think is advisable,” said Rutte.

The meeting in Turkey comes less than a month after the United States announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to “abolish use of force” on the Black Sea. However, the main details remain unresolved, and the Kremlin has conditioned the deal on lifting some Western sanctions.

Commenting on continuing negotiations with the US on a revised version of an agreement that would give the US access to Ukraine's valuable mineral resources, Zelensky described last week's technical talks in Washington as positive, with more consultations expected during the following days.

He said the meeting was a technical session for the expert teams, and that the “both sides concluded their meeting with positive times”. Zelensky added that discussions will continue throughout the week, and as soon as the teams are ready, they will present the results of their work. / REL