Support for Ukraine remains “unwavering,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday, adding that more than 20 billion euros (US$22.8 billion) in security assistance has already been pledged by members of the alliance in the first three months of the year.
Rutte spoke in Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city of Sumy on Sunday morning, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and injuring 119.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The attack on the northeastern city, about 30km from Ukraine’s border with Russia, marked the second large-scale attack in just over a week to result in significant civilian casualties.
Earlier this month, about 20 people were killed, including nine children, after a Russian ballistic missile struck Zelenskiy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4.
“I’m here today because I believe Ukraine’s people deserve real peace, real safety and security in their country, in their homes,” Rutte said during a joint news conference with Zelenskiy.
Photo: Reuters
The two met with wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a hospital in Odesa.
It was Rutte’s first trip to Ukraine since US President Donald Trump assumed the lead in ceasefire negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, which have included several rounds of talks in Saudi Arabia.
“These discussions are not easy, not least in the wake of this horrific violence, but we all support President Trump’s push for peace,” Rutte said, referring to the recent strikes.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European partners are continuing to develop the infrastructure for the “coalition of the willing,” which is expected to act as a long-term security guarantee aimed at deterring Russian aggression after a ceasefire is in place.
The multinational force is seen as a first test of Europe’s willingness to defend itself and its interests.
Zelenskiy said that Turkey could play a significant role in providing Black Sea security guarantees for Ukraine.
“This is not about ending the war, unfortunately,” Zelenskiy said, commenting on a security meeting being hosted by Turkey. “It’s about what comes after — the security guarantees for Ukraine following a ceasefire.”
Military representatives from Ukraine, France, the UK and Turkey were discussing the presence of a military contingent in the Black Sea as part of those guarantees, he said.
“The fact that these talks are ongoing, that we are preparing for this hopeful, soon-to-be achieved eventuality — NATO tries to steer that in the direction we think would be advisable,” Rutte said.
The meeting in Turkey, which concluded yesterday, came less than a month after the US announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to “eliminate the use of force” in the Black Sea.
However, key details remained unresolved, and the Kremlin has tied the deal to the lifting of some Western sanctions.
Commenting on ongoing negotiations with the US over a revised draft of an agreement that would give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, Zelenskiy described last week’s technical talks in Washington as positive, with more consultations expected in the coming days.
The meeting was a technical session for expert teams and “both sides concluded the meeting on a positive note,” he said.
Zelenskiy added that online and in-person discussions would continue throughout the week, and once the teams are ready, they would present the outcomes.
Meanwhile, residents of Sumy were still mourning their loved ones killed in Sunday’s attack. Among the dead was Olena Kohut, pianist and a solo organist at the regional philharmonic. A farewell ceremony was held in the local theater where she often played.
Dozens came to say goodbye to the gifted musician and piano teacher, who was killed while on her way to rehearsals.
Mourners wept, holding red roses, as they approached her coffin at the theater, where she taught piano and mentored young musicians.
The crowd clapped in respect as her coffin was driven away and out of sight.
“The Sumy region lost a lot with her,” said Serhiy Dorofieiev, 39, director of the theater where Kohut worked.
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