Rutte urged NATO allies to strengthen Ukraine's air defense amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, at a press conference in Tallinn, called on alliance members to step up military aid to Ukraine, primarily air defense systems, as Russia attacks Kyiv daily with hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles. More than 600,000 people in Ukraine were left without electricity after the strikes. Rutte's meeting with Zelensky in Brussels will take place amid tensions between the US and Ukraine over strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure and Trump's threat to limit intelligence sharing.

tafs uz editorial deskFirst published on tafs uz 14 October 2026 at 20:222 min readAI translation

The key facts

Rutte called on NATO to increase air defense supplies to Ukraine; on Thursday he will meet Zelensky in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU summit
More than 600,000 people in Ukraine were left without electricity after Russian strikes, Zelensky said
Trump threatened to end intelligence sharing over Kyiv's strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure; Trump himself said intelligence sharing was not halted

Call to allies

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged alliance members to increase military aid to Ukraine, especially in the field of air defense, as Russia continues to shell Kyiv daily with hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles. 'With winter approaching and amid Russia's unabating aggression, allies need to do more, especially in supporting air defense systems,' Rutte said at a press conference in Tallinn alongside Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal. According to Euronews, on Thursday the NATO secretary general will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU summit.

Power outages

According to Zelensky, as a result of Russian strikes on Wednesday, more than 600,000 people across Ukraine were left without electricity.

Tensions between the US and Ukraine

The meeting will take place amid serious tensions between the US and Ukraine over Kyiv's strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure. US President Donald Trump threatened to end intelligence sharing on ballistic missile attacks if Ukraine continues such strikes. Gas and oil remain Russia's main assets, providing the Kremlin with the funds to wage war.

Zelensky's statements on intelligence

On Tuesday, Zelensky said that ahead of a massive ballistic missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine did not receive early warning from partners. 'Our systems detected these missiles only when they were already effectively approaching Kyiv,' he wrote on X. According to him, intelligence about launches helps save lives and is one of the key issues.

Washington's and Rutte's position

Washington eased sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, and Trump confirmed that the US could purchase these volumes to curb price growth domestically. Trump demanded that Zelensky stop strikes on diesel plants, saying that they, not the American-Israeli war in Iran, were the cause of rising prices. Rutte did not dwell on the question of halting intelligence sharing, citing Trump's comment on Tuesday, when, leaving the White House on his way to a campaign event, he said that intelligence sharing had not been halted.

Statements on the Kremlin's strategy

Both Rutte and Michal said the Kremlin seeks to deter European allies from supporting Ukraine. 'Russia wants us to focus on our own problems and grow tired of supporting Ukraine. We must not allow this. Estonia will continue to provide military aid to Ukraine,' Michal said.