Zelensky, appearing in his trademark army colors and a black sweatshirt, arrived to attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a cadre of dozens of nations organized by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. It marked Zelensky’s first visit to NATO headquarters since the invasion, though he has addressed the allies remotely from Kyiv before.
Zelensky, in brief remarks alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, said at the outset of the meeting that he was recommending that allies support the Israeli people following an attack by the “terrorist” Hamas militant group that killed hundreds of civilians and prompted Israel to declare war.
Zelensky, who last year blasted Israel for declining to send weapons to Ukraine, has sought to find common cause with the Israelis since the Hamas attack, likening the militants’ tactics to those of Russian soldiers and underscoring the value of public support while under fire.
“It was very important not to be alone. Very important,” Zelensky said, recalling the early days of Russia’s invasion on Wednesday. He added that the allies need to prevent the possibility of “aggressors even to think about that third world war” and initiating a new wave of aggression.
The comments came a day after Zelensky said in an interview that there is a risk that the new war in Israel could distract global attention from Russia’s war against Ukraine. While foreign military support continues to flow, Ukrainian officials and NATO allies have raised concern about Republican lawmakers in Washington seeking to stifle additional aid packages.
On Wednesday, the allies will discuss battlefield aid to Ukraine, focusing in particular on air defense to protect Ukrainian cities through the winter, NATO diplomats said.
In recent weeks, NATO diplomats and officials have voiced concern about Ukrainian readiness for an expected Russian assault on energy and other critical infrastructure. Britain announced on Wednesday additional military support aimed at helping Ukraine defend critical infrastructure and clear minefields, among other things.
“This winter, Russia will seek to undermine the morale of the Ukrainian people and divide the international community, but in both cases Putin underestimates the strength and resilience of his opposition,” Britain’s Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defense staff, said in a statement. “If we stick together, and stay the course, then Russia will continue to lose, Ukraine will prevail and the rules that matter to global security will endure.”
The Pentagon also is expected to announce additional military aid for Ukraine this week, defense officials familiar with the process said, speaking on the condition of anonymity before a formal announcement. That package is expected to include an additional $200 million in security assistance, including air-defense missiles, artillery ammunition, antitank missiles, and equipment to clear minefields and counter Russian drones.
Austin said that the allies should expect Russia to again bombard Ukraine this winter with missiles and drones and seek to plunge Ukrainians into “bitter cold and darkness.” “But he will fail,” Austin said. “And we all know it.”
On Thursday, NATO defense ministers will look at the longer term in a separate meeting, pushing ahead with plans announced at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.
The war in Israel and Gaza is likely to be discussed as well, diplomats said. In a briefing ahead of the meeting, Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, downplayed the risk that the crisis in Israel will distract the United States, or the alliance.
“I suspect the United States will be able to stay focused on our partnership and commitment to Israel’s security, while also meeting our commitments and promise to continue supporting Ukraine,” she said.
Israel’s relationship with Russia has deteriorated in recent months as Moscow has grown increasingly dependent on Iran for supplies of drones and other weapons used to attack Ukraine. Iran is a major sponsor of Hamas, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has notably refrained from offering condolences to Israel, or condemning Hamas, since the attacks over the weekend.
Instead, Putin and other top officials,…
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