NATO Vows Ukraine Backing After Russian Missile 'Intimidation'

NATO pledged support for Ukraine at talks in Brussels Tuesday after Russia's attempt to "intimidate" Kyiv's backers by firing an experimental hypersonic intermediate-range missile last week. 

Russia on Thursday carried out a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro which President Vladimir Putin said was a test of its new Oreshnik missile.

Putin said the missile attack was in response to Ukraine firing weapons supplied by the United States and Britain into Russia.

The Kremlin leader warned that Moscow felt "entitled" to hit military facilities in countries that allow Ukraine to use their weapons against Russia. 

"During the meeting, NATO allies reaffirmed their support for Ukraine," the alliance said in a statement after the talks.  

"The attack, which targeted Dnipro, is seen as another attempt by Russia to terrorise the civilian population in Ukraine and intimidate those who support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked aggression."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had called the strike "the latest bout of Russian madness" and appealed for updated air-defence systems to meet the new threat.

Kyiv called for "concrete and meaningful outcomes" after calling the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. 

A NATO official said Ukraine identified air defence systems that it needs to try to counter the new missile threat from Moscow ahead of a gathering of alliance foreign ministers in Brussels next week. 

Some allies hinted that they could make announcements at the meeting next week on fresh air defences for Kyiv, the official said. 

The escalating tensions over Ukraine come as questions hang over the future of Western support following the re-election of Donald Trump in main NATO power the United States. 

Moscow on Tuesday pledged "retaliatory actions" to fresh Ukrainian air attacks inside Russia using US-supplied ATACMS missiles. 

In a rare admission, Russia said the fresh strikes had caused damage to military hardware and wounded some of its personnel on the ground in the Kursk region.

Trump has cast doubt on maintaining Washington's vast military aid for Kyiv and pledged a quick deal to end the war.  

On the battlefield, Ukraine's fatigued troops are struggling to halt advances by Russian forces in the east of the country. 

NATO and Ukraine established the joint council in 2023 that allows Kyiv to call meetings with the alliance when it sees fit.
 

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