NATO pledged support to Ukraine during talks in Brussels on Tuesday, following Russia's attempt to “intimidate” Kiev's supporters by firing an experimental hypersonic medium-range missile last week.
Russia carried out an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, which President Vladimir Putin said was a test of its new Oreshnik missile.
Putin said the missile attack was a response to Ukraine firing weapons supplied by the United States and Britain at Russia.
The Kremlin leader warned that Moscow felt “entitled” to attack military facilities in countries where Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons against Russia.
“During the meeting, NATO allies reaffirmed their support for Ukraine,” the alliance said in a statement after the talks.
“The attack, targeting Dnipro, is seen as another attempt by Russia to terrorize the civilian population in Ukraine and intimidate those who support Ukraine as the country defends itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked aggression.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had called the attack “the latest bout of Russian madness” and called for updated air defense systems to counter the new threat.
Kiev called for “concrete and meaningful results” after the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting.
A NATO official said Ukraine has identified air defense systems it needs to counter the new missile threat from Moscow, ahead of a meeting of alliance foreign ministers in Brussels next week.
Some allies hinted that they could make announcements on fresh air defense for Kiev at the meeting next week, the official said.
The escalating tensions over Ukraine come at a time when questions are being raised about the future of Western support following the re-election of Donald Trump as the main NATO power, the United States.
Moscow on Tuesday pledged “retaliation” against new Ukrainian airstrikes in Russia using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
In a rare admission, Russia said the new attacks had caused damage to military hardware and injured some of its personnel on the ground in the Kursk region.
Trump has cast doubt on the maintenance of Washington's massive military aid to Kiev and promised a quick deal to end the war.
On the battlefield, Ukraine's weary troops struggle to hold back the advance of Russian forces in the country's east.
NATO and Ukraine established the joint council in 2023, which allows Kiev to hold meetings with the alliance when they see fit.
(This story has not been edited by Our staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
