Chair of NATO Military Committee arrives in Ukraine, meets Zelenskyy and Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, met with Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, who made the first visit to Ukraine during his tenure.
Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Oleksandr Syrskyy on Facebook; Giuseppe Cavo Dragone in his address, quoted by Ukrinform
Quote from Zelenskyy: "I met with the chair of the NATO Military Committee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. At one of the defence industry businesses, we got acquainted with the capabilities and characteristics of Ukrainian long-range weapons.
Preparations for the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein Group), further military aid from NATO member states and direct investment in the domestic production of long-range drones are the main topics of our meeting."
Details: The President of Ukraine thanked Dragone for his first foreign visit to Ukraine in this position.
Syrskyi also said that he had met with Dragone and congratulated him on his appointment to the highest military post in the North Atlantic Alliance.
Quote from Syrskyi: "Further aid from NATO member states is one of the key components for the overall success of our strategy. In this regard, I have asked Admiral Dragone to raise the issue at the NATO Military Committee with the Supreme Allied Commanders (Chiefs of Defence) to facilitate the adoption of relevant decisions by the political leadership of their countries.
We must maintain consolidated military support for Ukraine on both sides of the Alliance, which should be one of our common goals for 2025."
More details: At the same time, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee stressed in Kyiv that at this key moment, Ukraine remains at the forefront of NATO's priorities.
Quote from Dragone: "It is in the Alliance's political and military interest to support Ukraine not only now, but also in the future… Our support for your sovereignty and territorial integrity will remain unwavering…
Together, we can help ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position to move forward."
Support UP or become our patron!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Sapsan ballistic missile to enter serial production following successful combat testing
Ukraine's domestically developed short-range Sapsan ballistic missile has successfully completed combat testing and is in the process of serial production, Ukrainian media reported on June 13. The missile, with a payload of 480 kg, completed testing in May after successfully striking a Russian military target at a range of nearly 300 km, Valentyn Badrak, head of the an independent Ukrainian think Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies told Ukraine's Defense Ministry reportedly dedicated a department to formulate and test the missile. There is no reported timeline as to when the missiles can be seen in regular use on the battlefield. Domestically produced long-range weapons are of key importance to Ukraine's defense strategy, as Western partners have been in delivering adequate weaponry amid increasing Russian attacks and offensives. The news comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a congressional hearing on June 10 that the United States will reduce funding allocated for military assistance to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget In November 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has produced its first 100 missiles. Since then, Ukraine has continued to increase domestic weapon production. Zelensky said on April 16 that over of the weapons used at the front line are now produced in Ukraine, including over 95% of drones used at front line. Zelensky also previously revealed that Ukraine had developed another domestic-made weapon, a missile-drone Palianytsia. As Ukraine attempt to increase its defense production, Russia has continued to unleash large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities, regularly launching hundreds of drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) with the Kyiv Independent that Russia's production of ballistic missiles has increased by at least 66% over the past year. Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in late 2024 that Ukraine also resumed and scaled up serial production of Neptune cruise missiles, modifying them to have a greater range. Kyiv has received a number of long-range missiles from partners, such as U.S.-made ATACMS, British Storm Shadow, or French SCALP/T. Despite Ukrainian requests, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on June 12 that Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv. Read also: Germany to supply new Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine, rules out Taurus missiles We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's plans to be a ‘peace' president appear to have gone up in flames
President Donald Trump tore into Tehran and stated his support for Israel Friday morning after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched aerial bombardments against Iranian nuclear sites hours earlier and took out some of Iran's military commanders and nuclear scientists in the process. Specifically, Trump chided Iran for not complying with his desire for a 'deal' on its nuclear program. Earlier in the morning, he told Fox News that the United States would assist Israel. 'I told them, in the strongest of words, to 'just do it,' but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done,' he posted on Truth Social. 'I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come - And they know how to use it.' It marked a striking change in tone for the White House from just the night before, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio had issued a statement clearly emphasizing that Israel had acted unilaterally. Just hours before the strike, Trump still seemed to signal a willingness to make a deal even while acknowledging Israel could strike. 'We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran,' he said. 'They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' The flare-up between Israel and Iran is just the latest escalation that Trump has overseen. While Trump has always had an anti-interventionist streak, he has attempted more vocally during his 2024 campaign and his subsequent return to the White House to reduce America's role in foreign conflicts and wind down conflicts that began before his second term. Earlier this week, Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican in the older model of the word and an ardent supporter of Ukraine, asked Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth whether Ukraine or Russia was the aggressor in the war. In response, Hegseth said Russia was, but when McConnell asked which side Hegseth wanted to win, Hegseth said 'this President is committed to peace in that conflict.' That reflected Trump's larger avoidance of outright support for Ukraine. During his one debate with Kamala Harris, he said he wanted the war to end but not whether he wanted Ukraine to win. Specifically, he said that even before he would take the oath of office, he would speak to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He famously pledged that he could end the war in 24 hours Trump's desire to end the war manifested itself in him blaming Zelensky for the conflict, despite the fact Russia invaded Ukraine. It culminated in his infamous blow-up where Vice President JD Vance tag-teamed with him to heckle Zelensky in front of the cameras and warned 'You're gambling with World War Three.' Of course, Zelensky is simply defending his country from aggression by Russia and Putin has had its eyes on Ukraine long before the 2022 invasion. Zelensky has also shown his own willingness to do what he feels is necessary, such as when Ukraine launched a bold drone attack inside Russia entitled 'Operation Spiderweb.' And Putin has not met Trump's overtures in kind. Rather, Putin continued his assault on Russia, with Trump often imploring 'Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!' Last week, Trump spoke with the Russian president and said they had 'a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.' Trump's decision to side fully with Israel means that Trump will once again set aside his 'America First' ambitions, which has sought to have America retreat from the larger world through a three-pronged approach of non-interventionist foreign policy, heavy tariffs to prevent foreign good from entering the United States and immigration restrictionism that seeks to close the country off from immigrants who come legally and illegally while deporting migrants in the United States. Trump has never been much of a peacenik for humane reasons — he famously threatened to 'bomb the s***' out of ISIS — but now, he has realized he has to handle the larger burdens that come with being the president of the world's super-power. And letting go of that responsibility is harder than he may have imagined.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy: Three of those killed in bus crash in France were Ukrainians, children among injured
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on the evening of 13 June that three of the four people who died in the bus crash in France were Ukrainian citizens. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter) Quote: "Horrible news of a tragic bus accident which resulted in many Ukrainian victims, including children. They were returning from an academic exchange with a French lycée in Brittany. On the way to Paris, the bus lost control and veered off the road. As of now, four adults have died, three of whom were Ukrainian citizens. Two more people are in a serious condition, and French doctors are fighting to save their lives. The rest of the children sustained light to moderate injuries, and all are receiving the necessary medical assistance." Details: Zelenskyy said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine had immediately dispatched a team of diplomats and consuls to the site of the incident, led by the ambassador of Ukraine to France. They are assisting Ukrainians and maintaining contact with the families of the injured. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the French authorities for the extensive involvement of emergency services. Quote: "More than 50 emergency teams were deployed to rush our children to hospitals and are continuing to help our people. This is a true demonstration of French solidarity with us. I know that the Office of President Emmanuel Macron remains engaged and continues to monitor the situation closely. The emergency response centre of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local authorities have also been mobilised. My condolences to all the victim's' families. We all pray that lives will be saved and that the injured children will recover quickly." Background: The bus carrying adults and teenagers from Ukraine flipped into a ditch on the A81 motorway near the town of Degré at 11:58 on 13 June. Three women and one man were killed. In addition to the four fatalities, nine people sustained serious injuries and another 18 suffered minor injuries. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
