NATO chief vows to support Ukraine despite Russian threats

NATO’s secretary-general said the alliance will continue to support Ukraine, despite threats from Russia.
Speaking at NATO’s Ukraine mission in Wiesbaden, Germany, Mark Rutte said Monday that the message for Russian President Vladimir Putin “is that we will continue, that we will do what’s necessary to make sure that he will not get his way. That Ukraine will prevail.”
The NATO alliance is “the strongest military alliance in world history, serving 1 billion people,” Rutte said. We stand ready to confront any threat. We will never get intimidated by our adversaries.”
Monday was Rutte’s first visit to the Ukraine mission known as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, which will eventually take over the coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address Monday that the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine had delivered a “quite detailed” report on “the intentions of the Russians for the fall and winter” for their continuing invasion of Ukraine.
The report included revelations about North Korea’s involvement in the war and Russia’s relationship with other countries that, “unfortunately, are investing in prolonging the war.”
Zelenskyy warned that “whoever helps Russia, we will respond as toughly as necessary to defend Ukraine.” He said, “There will be respective work with our partners to ensure that Russia’s intentions do not work.”
Zelenskyy added that this week, “Ukraine will present to all our partners in Europe our strategy for compelling Russia to bring this war to a just end.” The strategy, known as the “victory plan,” has not yet been made public.
The president also revealed that as of Monday, Ukraine had purchased 1 million drones “at state expense” and delivered them to the front. He said that allotment represented “only the state’s contribution” to the production of drones. Zelenskyy thanked “everyone who makes our army technologically advanced. … Technological development helps us protect our warriors’ lives.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday that its troops had captured the village of Levadne, in the Zaporizhzhia region, more than a year after Ukrainian forces had retaken the area following Russia’s invasion.
The Russian ministry said its forces had “liberated” the village and occupied better positions in the area.
Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov reported on Telegram, the messaging platform, that Russian forces had shelled the area, but did not say anything about a change in control.
Levadne is in a part of southeastern Ukraine that Russia occupied shortly after launching its invasion in early 2022.
A Ukrainian offensive in June 2023 brought Levadne and other villages back under Ukrainian control.
Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.