Washington summit

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday delayed a decision to let Ukraine fire long-range Western-supplied missiles into Russia, a plan that sparked dire threats from Moscow of a war with NATO.

The U.S. and British top diplomats began a visit Wednesday to Ukraine, where they will discuss further easing rules on firing Western weapons into Russia, whose alleged acquisition of Iranian missiles has raised new fears.

NATO leaders pose for an official photo at the NATO summit in Washington, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Front row from left, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, Dimitar Glavchev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium, Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, U.S.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated NATO's support for Ukraine in his first comment upon arrival at the NATO summit in Washington on Wednesday

"We celebrate the creation of the most resilient alliance in the world," said Mitsotakis, adding that the meeting takes place at a time of great challenges.

"We will continue to support Ukraine," he emphasized.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will attend a three-day NATO summit in the United States starting July 9, where he will meet with leaders of member states in joint sessions and bilateral meetings.

The summit in Washington will begin with the 75th-anniversary commemoration program of the alliance.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will travel to Washington next week for a NATO summit where he is expected to sound the alarm on Russia and North Korea's recent military cooperation, his administration announced on Friday.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is set to visit Kyiv today, marking his first trip to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. His visit coincides with Hungary's upcoming EU rotating presidency. Orbán is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the British publication The Guardian.

Update: President Rumen Radev, after anticipating his official designation as leader of Bulgaria's delegation to the upcoming NATO summit in July, has declined the role due to disagreements with certain state positions adopted by the Council of Ministers, which shapes the country's foreign policy as per the constitution.

Türkiye has congratulated Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for his appointment as the new NATO Secretary General, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on June 26.

"We congratulate Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was announced as the new NATO Secretary General with the consent of all allies," read the statement.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban agreed on Wednesday that Budapest would "not block" the defense alliance from contributing more to Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion.