Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, announced that the next Ukraine-NATO Council meeting is scheduled for October 17. The meeting will bring together defense Ministers from NATO Member States along with Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov.
The key topics expected to be discussed include the current battlefield situation in Ukraine and the most pressing military needs of Ukraine.
Rutte noted that progress was being made on the establishment of a new NATO Command in Wiesbaden. This command will coordinate aid and training to Ukrainian troops as well as fulfill the commitment to provide Ukraine 40 billion euros of military assistance.
“NATO Allies provided military assistance of 20.9 billion euro to Ukraine in the first half 2024, and Allies are on course to meet their commitments throughout the rest of the calendar year,” adding that the “message is clear: NATO delivers for Ukraine and we will continue doing so.”
Rutte had earlier reaffirmed NATO support for Ukraine. “The message (to Russian president Vladimir Putin) is we will continue. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that he won’t get his way. That Ukraine will prevail,” NATO Secretary-General said in a joint interview on October 13 with German radio Hessischer Rundfunk and Reuters.
Rutte has reassured the public, but as the U.S. elections approach, there are growing concerns about the future of Western aid. Former President Donald Trump, Republican nominee and current presidential candidate, has expressed his desire to “get the U.S. out” of this war. This has raised fears that he could reduce or withdraw Western support.
The White House released a statement saying that the new package would include “additional capabilities in air defense, air-to ground munitions, armored cars, and critical munitions for Ukraine’s urgent requirements.”
According to unnamed sources cited by RBC-Ukraine, the individual in question is Oleh Hrybenko. He is reportedly responsible, according to the media outlet, for maintaining the security at critical infrastructure facilities.
The tanks will be part of a larger package worth 245 million Australian Dollars ($163 millions).
It wasn’t the first time that missiles and drone debris were found on Moldovan soil.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he would “if asked” speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that no decisions would take place without the input from Ukraine or other Western Allies.
The Defense Ministry stated that the drone is resistant to electronic warfare from Russia and can adjust artillery fire thanks to its “high-tech materials”.
In an interview published by Tengrinews.kz on October 16, a government spokeswoman said that Kazakhstan’s President has “carefully” considered proposals to join BRICS, but Astana won’t seek to join “in the near future”.
According to HUR’s report, Ukrainian soldiers captured an area of Russian battalion defence, destroyed three motorized-rifle battalions, Storm platoons, and a reconnaissance unit of Russia’s Seventh Separate Motorized Rifle Regiment.
Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state-owned power company, said later in the day that repairs were underway. The outages had been caused by “technical” reasons that were not specified. The energy supply will resume “within a few hours.”
CNN reported on October 16 that U.S. president Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of Germany France and the U.K. later this week in Berlin after his earlier trip was postponed because of Hurricane Milton.
Sebastien Lecornu, French Defense Minister, said on October 16 that France has successfully tested its first kamikaze drones and will deliver these to Ukraine “in upcoming weeks”.
After a conversation with his counterpart in the U.K., Tony Radakin Commander-in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that they discussed the possible of hitting Russian military objectives “in operational depth and strategic depth.”
In a media interview published Oct. 15, a Polish Minister said that Poland could condition Ukraine’s entry into the EU on the resolution of Volyn’s massacre, as joining the EU is not a question of survival for the country.
“Different capabilities; different wars; different regions.” Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokesperson, said that the commitments to Israel and Ukraine were also different.
According to the statement, 60 drones “were lost” in electronic warfare across a number regions, and 20 drones flew over Ukraine as of the date of publication. Two more drones flew toward Russia.
“Such a step would also show a new level desperation on the part of Russia, as it continues to suffer significant losses in its brutal war with Ukraine,” White House National Council spokeswoman Sean Savett stated.
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