NATO defence chiefs hold 'candid discussion' on security guarantees for Ukraine

NATO defence chiefs held a "candid discussion" connected Wednesday astir what information guarantees they could connection Kyiv to thief forge a bid statement that ends Russia's three-year warfare connected Ukraine, a elder confederation charismatic said.

Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, nan chair of NATO's Military Committee, said that 32 defence chiefs from crossed nan confederation held a video convention amid a US-led negotiated push to extremity nan fighting.

He said they had had a "great, candid discussion."

"I thanked everyone for their ever proactive information successful these meetings: we are united, and that unity was genuinely tangible today, arsenic always," he said successful a station connected societal media level X but gave nary further details.

Assurances that it won't beryllium invaded again successful nan early are 1 of nan keys for getting Ukraine to motion up for a bid woody pinch Russia.

It wants Western thief for its military, including weapons and training, to statement up its defences, and Western officials are scrambling to fig retired what commitments they could offer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chided efforts to activity connected information arrangements successful Ukraine without Moscow's involvement.

"We cannot work together pinch nan truth that it is now projected to resoluteness corporate information issues without nan Russian Federation. This will not work," Lavrov said connected Wednesday, successful comments carried by authorities news agency RIA Novosti.

Russia will "ensure (its) morganatic interests firmly and harshly," Lavrov added astatine a news convention successful Moscow.

US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s ultimate allied commandant Europe who advised during nan Trump-Putin acme past week successful Alaska, took portion successful nan virtual talks, Dragone said.

US General Dan Caine, president of nan Joint Chiefs of Staff, was besides owed to participate, a US defence charismatic said.

Caine besides met pinch European subject chiefs connected Tuesday evening successful Washington to measure nan champion subject options for governmental leaders, according to nan defence official, who said connected information of anonymity.

The specifications of a Ukraine information force

US President Donald Trump met past Friday pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and connected Monday hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and salient European leaders at nan White House, but neither gathering delivered actual progress.

Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy toward a colony much than 3 years aft Russia invaded its neighbour, but awesome obstacles remain.

They see Ukraine's demands for Western-backed subject assurances to guarantee Russia won’t equine different penetration successful nan future.

"We request beardown information guarantees to guarantee a genuinely unafraid and lasting peace," Zelenskyy said successful a Telegram station connected Wednesday aft Russian rocket and drone strikes deed six regions of Ukraine overnight.

Kyiv's European friends are looking to group up a force that could enactment arsenic a backstop to immoderate bid statement and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, has signed up to support nan initiative.

Military chiefs are figuring retired really that information unit mightiness work. The domiciled that nan US mightiness play is unclear. On Tuesday, Trump ruled out sending US troops to thief take sides Ukraine against Russia.

Russia has many times said that it would not judge NATO troops successful Ukraine.

Attacks connected civilian areas successful Sumy and Odesa overnight into Wednesday injured 15 people, including a family pinch 3 mini children, Ukrainian authorities said.

Russian strikes besides targeted ports and substance and power infrastructure, officials said.

Zelenskyy said nan strikes "only corroborate nan request for unit connected Moscow, nan request to present caller sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy useful to its afloat potential."