Czech President Petr Pavel (2nd L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) review a military honor guard in front of the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, on July 6, 2023.
Milan Kammermayer | Afp | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a clear signal from NATO that Kyiv will be able to join the military alliance when the war ends, saying the 30-member group’s open door policy is not enough.
His comments come ahead of a two-day summit of NATO leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania next week.
Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s western city of Lviv rose to 10, according to the city’s mayor. Emergency workers were said to be working to free the deceased from the rubble of an apartment building, following an attack far from the front line of the war.
Elsewhere, the U.S. is considering sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, sounding the alarm among international NGOs.
Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said Thursday he had no announcement to make on a reported move to send the controversial weapons to Ukraine, but disclosed that cluster munitions known as Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions were under consideration.
Human Rights Watch said President Joe Biden’s administration should not transfer cluster bombs to Ukraine due to concerns that these weapons can cause civilian casualties.