World leaders heard impassioned pleas Thursday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for more military aid to defend his country and the United States announced new sanctions and humanitarian aid as officials gathered for a trio of summits to discuss next steps in countering Russia’s month-old invasion of its much smaller neighbor. The extraordinary series of summits, hosted by NATO, the Group of Seven industrialized nations and the European Union, reflected alarm that the conflict shows no sign of ending soon and could even spread beyond Ukraine’s borders. As Europe faces its greatest crisis in generations, Western leaders continue the search for ways to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin while avoiding steps that could lead to a wider war on the continent.
With Russia facing increasing international isolation, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned China against coming to its rescue. “They should join the rest of the world and clearly condemn the brutal war against Ukraine and not support Russia,” either with economic or military support, he said after the closed-door meeting. The possibility that Russia will use chemical or even nuclear weapons has been a grim topic of conversation in Brussels, but a possibility leaders were preparing for.
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