NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on July 10 (local time) that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and is currently working closely with allies to ensure that Ukraine receives the support it needs.
Secretary General Rutte stated on X (formerly Twitter) that afternoon, "Russia's ongoing large-scale airstrikes on Ukrainian civilians are deplorable," and added, "Today, I urged leaders of various countries to take more proactive measures so that Ukraine can secure additional ammunition and air defense systems."
According to major foreign media outlets, Russia launched 18 missiles and approximately 400 drones across Ukraine, focusing on Kyiv, overnight. This followed an intense assault on July 8 and 9, in which Russia deployed a total of 741 missiles and drones?the largest number since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Analysts interpret Secretary General Rutte's disclosure of his call with President Trump and his mention of support for Ukraine as reflecting the recent shift in the Trump administration's stance, which has become tougher on Russia. The previous day, President Trump, when asked at the White House about additional support for the Patriot missile system, responded, "Ukraine is under very heavy attack. So we are reviewing (support)," indicating a possible change in policy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held, also stated, "President Trump has been disappointed by Russia's lack of flexibility regarding Ukraine."
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