BRUSSELS, Belgium: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels Wednesday to strategize over Russia’s war ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Addressing reporters alongside Rutte, Zelensky called it a “very good opportunity to speak about security guarantees for Ukraine, for today and for tomorrow.”
The pair were to be joined later in the evening at the NATO’s chief’s official residence by leaders from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands and the European Union’s main institutions.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British premier Keir Starmer were to miss the gathering due to schedule clashes — sending their foreign ministers instead — but Macron met Zelensky for bilateral talks just beforehand.
The huddle came just over a month before Trump reclaims the US presidency, having pledged to bring a swift end to a conflict that NATO says has left more than one million dead and wounded since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
There are fears that Trump could pull US support for Kyiv and force it to make painful concessions to Moscow. European leaders, keen not to be left on the sidelines, are scrambling to come up with their own plans.
“Europe needs a strong, united position to ensure lasting peace,” Zelensky stressed as he arrived in the Belgian capital.
European leaders insist that only Ukraine should decide when it is ready to negotiate with Russia.
The meeting’s top focus, Rutte said, was to make sure that Ukraine was “in the best possible position one day, when they decide to start the peace talks.”
Likewise German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters earlier in Brussels the priority was to secure the “sovereignty of Ukraine — and that it will not be forced to submit to a dictated peace.”
But discussions have begun between some capitals over the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine to secure any eventual ceasefire.
While this was raised at a recent meeting between Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, diplomats say it remains too early to draw up concrete proposals.
Scholz told reporters that discussing boots on the ground was premature, saying it “does not make sense” at this stage.
Rutte instead said Kyiv’s allies should focus on ramping up arms supplies — and urged them not to debate possible peace conditions in public as it risks playing into Moscow’s hands.
“If we now start to discuss among ourselves what a deal could look like, we make it so easy for the Russians,” he said.
Western backers are seeking to shore up Ukraine’s forces as Kyiv’s fatigued troops are losing ground across the frontline and Moscow has deployed North Koreans to the battlefield.
Zelensky — who will also attend an EU summit on Thursday — said he wanted to discuss “how to urgently strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield, politically and geopolitically.”
Most immediately Zelensky is pleading for over a dozen more air defense systems to try to help stave off Russian barrages against Ukraine’s power grid.
But Ukraine’s leader has said Trump’s arrival could mean the war ends next year, and has called for allies to help secure a peace deal that Moscow cannot violate.
As the change of guard approached in the US, Zelensky has appeared to soften his stance on any potential peace push.
He has said that if Ukraine is given firm security guarantees by NATO and enough weaponry it could agree to a ceasefire along current lines and look to regain the rest of its territory through diplomatic means.
But NATO members have rebuffed Kyiv’s calls for an invitation to join their alliance right away, sparking speculation that sending peacekeepers could be an alternative.
“Officially that is not on the agenda, but since there will be a lot of important people in the same room, it cannot entirely be ruled out,” a NATO diplomat said.
The meeting is “basically about Zelensky asking for more military aid,” the diplomat added.
Zelensky huddles with European leaders as Trump looms
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Zelensky huddles with European leaders as Trump looms

- “Europe needs a strong, united position to ensure lasting peace,” Zelensky stressed as he arrived in the Belgian capital
UK anti-Islam activist ‘Tommy Robinson’ charged with harassment of two men

- Crown Prosecution Service said the alleged offenses were committed between August 5 and 7 last year
LONDON: Prominent British anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has been charged with harassment causing fear of violence to two men around the time of the nationwide riots last year, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
“We have authorized the Metropolitan Police to charge Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, 42, with harassment causing fear of violence against two men,” a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesperson said in a statement.
Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, is currently in prison over a separate contempt of court issue but is due to be released next week after winning a bid on Tuesday to trim the 18-month sentence.
The CPS said the alleged offenses were committed between August 5 and 7 last year — when riots broke out at anti-immigration protests in towns and cities across Britain following the murder of three young girls in Southport, northwest England.
Yaxley-Lennon, who describes himself as a journalist who exposes state wrongdoing and counts US billionaire Elon Musk among his supporters, was accused by some media and politicians of inflaming tensions at the time of the riots.
Three British ministers to explain increase in arms exports to Israel despite partial ban

- Trade Minister Douglas Alexander and relevant ministers from the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence will answer MPs’ questions
- Liam Byrne, chair of the business select committee, says ministers should clarify reasons behind the increase in arms exports to Israel
LONDON: The British parliamentary committee overseeing trade is summoning three Labour government ministers responsible for arms exports to Israel to answer questions about loopholes in the rules.
In September, the UK government announced a partial ban on arms exports to send munitions to Israel for use in Gaza as the Israeli forces continue their attacks on the Palestinian coastal enclave.
British MPs are concerned that arms companies may exploit the partial nature of arms exports to provide weaponry to Israel for use in Gaza, potentially violating a commitment by ministers.
Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, has called Trade Minister Douglas Alexander and relevant ministers from the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence to answer questions about the arms trade with Israel.
He said in a letter that the three ministers should clarify the reasons behind the increase in arms sent to Israel. Additionally, he called for the release of statistics regarding the number of licenses altered to exclude Israel as the end user.
He said the ministers assured MPs that the partial ban covered “equipment that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza, such as important components that go into military aircraft, including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones, as well as items that facilitate ground targeting.”
His decision followed a report from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade, which revealed last week that the UK government approved licenses for £127.6 million ($171.5 million) worth of military equipment to Israel in the fourth quarter of 2024, which occurred despite the Labour government’s partial ban on arms exports to Israel imposed in September.
The CAAT said that the total is greater than the combined arms exports to Israel for the years 2020 to 2023.
On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy assured MPs that “arms are not being delivered to Israel that could be used in Gaza.” However, the government has authorized over £61 million in single-issue licenses for military goods intended for Israel, including targeting systems, munitions, and aircraft parts, according to The Guardian newspaper.
Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot

- The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine
- The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision
NEW YORK: Moderna said on Wednesday it has withdrawn an application seeking approval for its flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate to wait for efficacy data from a late-stage trial of its influenza shot, which is due later this year.
The company said it pulled the application in consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration. It is the latest sign of increased regulatory scrutiny of the vaccine approval process since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the top US health job earlier this year.
Moderna’s decision comes a day after the US FDA said it would require new clinical trials for approval of annual COVID-19 boosters for healthy people under 65.
The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine, both under development by Moderna.
The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision for the next-generation COVID vaccine, which is due by the end of the month.
Shares of the company have been battered by declining COVID revenue as well as investor concerns spurred by the appointment of Kennedy, who is a vaccine skeptic, as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Moderna has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots to make up for falling sales of its COVID vaccine and less-than-expected uptake of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, which sent its shares down nearly 60 percent last year.
The company in early May pushed back the time frame for the likely approval of its combination vaccine — meant to protect adults aged 50 and above against both COVID-19 and influenza — to 2026.
The FDA last week approved rival Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine more than a month after missing the deadline for the shot’s approval, and limited its use to people with conditions that put them at risk due to the illness.
Germany defends EU-Israel deal as ‘important forum’ for talks

- EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said “a strong majority” of the 27 member states had backed the review
- Kornelius reiterated Germany’s “great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza“
BERLIN: Germany on Wednesday defended an EU-Israel cooperation deal, a day after the bloc had ordered a review of it in a bid to pressure Israel over the Gaza war.
Without explicitly confirming media reports that Berlin had opposed the review, foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said that “the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions” over the situation in Gaza.
The review announced on Tuesday comes as some European nations take a tougher line with Israel over the devastating impact of its offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said “a strong majority” of the 27 member states had backed the review.
Diplomats said 17 EU states pressed for the review under an article of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights, with the Netherlands spearheading the latest push.
On Monday the leaders of Britain, France and Canada condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt its heightened military offensive there.
On Wednesday Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reiterated Germany’s “great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza” but stopped short of mentioning any possible further action.
Wagner also confirmed that on Tuesday nine German nationals had been evacuated from Gaza “in close co-ordination with the Israeli government,” together with three of their immediate family members.
Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style

- Ship design is based on 5th-century artwork found in Ajanta Caves
- The ship’s first transoceanic voyage is planned from Gujarat to Oman
New Delhi: The Indian Navy inducted on Wednesday its first vessel constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques dating back to the 5th century.
The 21-meter wooden ship is a stitched ship, a type of boat that is carvel-built, with its planks stitched together using cords or ropes. The technique was popular in ancient India in constructing ocean-going vessels.
Named Kaundinya, the ship is a recreation of a vessel inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra state, where ancient Buddhist rock-cut monuments feature exquisite murals dating from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E.
“The whole concept was to kind of connect to our ancient methodology of how the construction takes place and also, subsequently, connect to the historical maritime routes which Indian seafarers took during that particular time,” Cdr. Vivek Madhwal, spokesperson of the Indian Navy, told Arab News.
Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the project was launched in July 2023 and constructed by artisans from Kerala, who were led by master Indian shipwright Babu Sankaran. The vessel was completed in February this year.
The INSV Kaundinya’s induction into the Indian Navy took place in the presence of Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka, on the country’s western coast along the Arabian Sea.
The ship will sail its first transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman.
“That is one of the routes which was used by the ancient seafarers,” Madhwal said, adding that new routes will be considered in the future, after the first journey.
The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras to conduct model testing of the vessel’s hydrodynamic behavior at sea. The navy has also tested the wooden mast system, which was constructed without the use of contemporary materials.
“Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in naval service anywhere in the world.”