NATO Secretary General highlights key points for meeting with Zelenskyy

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has outlined the topics that will be on the agenda for his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels.

This will be the third meeting between Zelenskyy and Rutte since the former Dutch PM took office as NATO Secretary General on 1 October. During the meeting, both leaders will exchange the latest information, Rutte said.

"I want to hear from him, where he is at the moment, how he sees things developing on the eastern front with Russia, and the situation in Kursk, obviously. This is always on our list.

I will update him on the decisions being made in NATO on the pledge," Rutte said upon arriving at the NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels.

He noted that NATO countries allocated US$20.9 billion in assistance to Ukraine in the first half of this year, and there are good prospects for providing the promised US$40 billion in support by the end of the year.

"[I can] stress in my conversation with him that he has to be absolutely assured that  32 allies are united in making sure that collectively, we will do whatever is needed to make sure Ukraine can prevail, that Putin will not get it way. … We want to be in a place where Zelenskyy and Ukraine from a position of strength are able to start talks with Russia," he added.

Earlier, Rutte stated that Ukraine will join the Alliance as its 33rd or 34th member in the future.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew to Brussels on Thursday for a visit, where he will participate in a European Council meeting and hold meetings at the European Parliament and NATO headquarters.