NATO chief Mark Rutte said that talks on ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine, led by US President Donald Trump, were “not easy”. He also condemned Russia’s “terrible pattern” of attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

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Rutte met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a surprise visit to the port city of Odesa.

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“These discussions are not easy, not least in the wake of this horrific violence. But we all support President Trump's push for peace,” he said.

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Rutte’s comments come after Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said that he sees a peace deal “emerging” following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

‘Acute need for air defence systems’

Meanwhile, Zelensky told Rutte Ukraine is in urgent need of air defence systems after recent strikes by Russia that killed dozens of civilians in Sumy on Palm Sunday.

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“Britain, France and other NATO countries are already actively preparing the ground for a security contingent in Ukraine. It is important that we all be fast enough and efficient in this process,” he said.

“Absolutely everyone sees how acute Ukraine’s need for air defence systems and missiles is. We talked about this a lot today,” the Ukrainian leader added.

Zelensky’s comments come after recent Russian strikes that killed 35 people in the north-eastern Sumy region and 19 in his hometown of Kryvyi Rig.

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Zelensky-Rutte meet

Following their meeting in Odesa, Zelensky said that he “discussed the security of Ukraine, our entire Europe, and the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as relations with all our partners in Europe and America” with Rutte.

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“The main focus was on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. Absolutely everyone sees how urgent Ukraine's need is for air defense systems and missiles for them,” he said. “We are counting on the implementation of our agreements on air defense with partners in Europe and America. Patriot systems are defensive weapons, and we're not just asking for Patriots — we are ready to purchase them. This is a purely political matter — the systems are available in the world, the missiles for the Patriots are also available, and whether we will have sufficient protection from Russian ballistic strikes depends entirely on political decisions.”

He added, “I am grateful to every leader who does not turn a blind eye to the reality — that lasting peace can only be achieved through determination. I am grateful to @SecGenNATO for the unwavering support for Ukraine since the earliest days of this war.”

(WIth inputs from agencies)