**NATO Leaders Meet with President Zelensky**
On February 8, NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders toured a long-range weapons plant and discussed ongoing military assistance.
Ukraine has been relying on NATO for support against Russia’s full-scale invasion. President Zelensky expressed gratitude to NATO for its help, saying “Thank you very much for your first mission and decision to be in Ukraine.”
**NATO Support**
Dragone emphasized that NATO is committed to helping Ukraine. He said, “The message I would like to convey not only to you but to everyone is that NATO is on your side. We are determined to fulfill all our commitments and to defend all the values and principles that we share.”
The two leaders also discussed enhanced coordination of military aid under the Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) framework.
**Other News**
* The UK has allocated £25 million ($31 million) to launch a social recovery initiative in Ukraine called the SPIRIT program.
* Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi highlighted key military achievements during his first year in office, including long-range strikes and NATO-standard training.
* North Korea is expected to begin drone production this year with Russian technical assistance.
* A British national was targeted under US sanctions authorized by President Donald Trump.
**Russia Updates**
* Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that 36 Ukrainian drones had been shot down by air defense. However, Ukraine reported successful attacks on Russian targets.
* Russia’s consumer prices rose by 9.5% in 2024 and have climbed further to 9.9% year-on-year this month.
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