NATO countries will provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and new air defenses to counter an intensified Russian missile strike campaign, despite new assessments suggesting the conflict is headed for an indefinite stalemate.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced the plan but did not specify the details of the air defenses, although Ukraine has been requesting more Patriot systems to intercept Russian missiles. He also did not elaborate on the F-16s, over a year after President Joe Biden overcame his reluctance to send the jets to Ukraine.

This offer is part of a new package of commitments to Ukraine that NATO leaders will present during a three-day summit starting later Tuesday. The 32 leaders meeting in Washington aim to demonstrate renewed support, even as they resist giving Ukraine a definite timeline or concrete path toward membership.

“I think what we’ve seen over the last days demonstrates the need to step up our support for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday.

Stoltenberg’s comments follow assessments that the conflict in Ukraine could continue indefinitely without an agreement to end the fighting. The latest battlefield analysis suggests neither side is poised to make significant gains, potentially leading to a prolonged stalemate. Ukraine has the resources to maintain its position but not to advance significantly.

The leaders gather amidst uncertainty for the alliance. President Joe Biden, scheduled to deliver a speech to fellow leaders Tuesday night, faces questions about his age and fitness for office. Other leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are dealing with political challenges at home.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin is less isolated than the West would prefer. Earlier Tuesday, he welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow and continues to strengthen ties with China, which has increased its support for Russia with dual-use items for weapons.

The Biden administration aims to portray the summit as a success for the US president, highlighting his efforts to repair relations with allies over the past four years since replacing Donald Trump. They seek to contrast this with the potential chaos if Trump is re-elected in November.

Embattled Biden, Weakened Allies Fuel Doubts at NATO’s 75th

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pushed for a concrete, time-bound plan for Ukraine to join NATO, which President Putin strongly opposes and NATO nations have been reluctant to offer. A summit statement expected this week is anticipated to provide Ukraine an “irreversible” path to membership, contingent on necessary anti-corruption reforms.

A person familiar with Ukraine’s position stated that Zelenskiy’s team is dissatisfied with this approach, arguing that what the country truly wants is a formal invitation to join the alliance.

NATO nations are also grappling with the reality that the conflict, now in its third year, seems further from resolution than ever. A senior NATO official, speaking anonymously, said Putin believes time is on his side and that the war will extend beyond 2025.

Emphasizing the urgency for air defenses, Russia launched a missile barrage on the eve of the summit Monday, killing at least 40 people, including in a strike on a children’s hospital. Zelenskiy, who was scheduled to speak in Washington later Tuesday, has become increasingly frustrated with NATO’s slow pace in providing additional air defenses.

The US and its allies have struggled to find more Patriot batteries to send, as most systems are already allocated globally. The push to deliver F-16s and train pilots has also been slow, hampered by protracted training times and a lack of pilots.

With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska.

The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it has ordered the evacuation of Gaza City, according to an AP report. Leaflets dropped by aircraft instructed “everyone in Gaza City” to leave, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone,” the BBC reported. Civilians have been directed to use two designated safe routes leading to shelters in Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaida.

Israel claims it is targeting Hamas fighters regrouping in areas previously hit during the early stages of the conflict. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes killed 20 Palestinians in central Gaza, including six children and three women. Another strike hit a home in Deir al-Balah, an area within the “humanitarian safe zone” where Israel has advised Palestinians to seek refuge, according to an AP report.

The conflict in Gaza was sparked by a Hamas attack on October 7, in which militants entered southern Israel and killed approximately 1,200 people.

Additionally, Israeli tanks and artillery struck Syrian army targets on Wednesday, responding to violations of the 1974 demilitarization deal in the Golan Heights, Reuters reported, citing Israeli military sources. “The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) holds the Syrian military responsible for all activities within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the military stated.

On Tuesday, an Israeli couple was killed by a Hezbollah rocket fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an attack the Lebanese armed group claimed was in retaliation for Israel killing one of its members in Syrian territory.

France condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on schools sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza, calling such tactics “unacceptable” and urging a full investigation, according to the French foreign ministry.

On Monday, the United States emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the eve of the NATO summit in Washington.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller referred to India as a “strategic partner” and stated, “We saw PM Modi, like PM Orban, meet with President Zelenskyy. We considered that an important step. We urge India, as we do any country engaging with Russia, to make clear that any resolution to the conflict in Ukraine must respect the UN Charter, Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and Ukraine’s sovereignty. India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue, including on our concerns about its relationship with Russia.”

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, addressing a press conference, said, “The president has strongly encouraged greater partnerships between the NATO alliance and friendly nations worldwide, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The president recognizes that global threats and challenges, including those from authoritarian actors and terrorist organizations, are interconnected. He also urged our NATO allies to join him in making significant investments in our mutual defense and deterrence capabilities.”

The United States has cultivated strong ties with India, recognizing it as a crucial ally amid China’s growing influence. President Joe Biden invited Modi for a state visit a year ago, reflecting this partnership.

India’s long-standing relationship with Moscow originates from the Cold War era. Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, India has refrained from joining Western sanctions against Russia, choosing instead to buy discounted energy from them.

Leaders from 38 nations have gathered in Washington for a landmark summit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the first NATO summit. Attendees include the heads of all NATO member countries and NATO partners, such as Ukraine, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Indians recruited into the Russian Army and sent to the frontlines in Ukraine “very strongly” with President Vladimir Putin, securing a promise that all such individuals would be swiftly sent back.

Following the deaths of four Indians serving with Russian military units in the conflict zone, pressure from the families of other recruits prompted the Indian government to facilitate their release and repatriation. India recently requested a “verified stop” to the recruitment of Indians by the Russian Army.

“Prime Minister raised this issue very strongly, emphasizing the need to return all Indian nationals to India as soon as possible,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told a media briefing after the annual summit between Modi and Putin.

“There was a sense of a promise from the Russian side on that. Now, both countries will work together to ensure their expeditious return,” he added.

Neither India nor Russia has provided official figures for the total number of Indians recruited by the Russian Army. Kwatra estimated the number to be “roughly between 35 to 50,” with 10 Indians already brought back to India in “partnership with the Russian system.”

However, some reports suggest the number could be over 100. Many Indian nationals were lured to Russia by recruitment agents with promises of jobs in other sectors, only to be recruited into the military as support staff, including cooks and helpers, sources familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

When their units moved to the frontlines, these recruits were given limited military training and made to fight. Besides the four deaths, several Indians were injured in the conflict.

Modi addressed the issue with Putin during their private meeting at the Russian leader’s dacha in a Moscow suburb on Monday evening, sources said. The Russian side agreed to discharge and facilitate the return of all Indians working in the Russian Army, one of the sources mentioned.

The release of these Indians from various Russian military units is expected within weeks, the sources added.

As pressure from the recruits and their families grew, the issue was taken up by the Indian embassy in Moscow and the Ministry of External Affairs with the Russian mission in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also raised the matter with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana last week.

Russia’s ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, stated that Russia has been “very open” in its dialogue with India on this issue and “very attentive to Indian concerns.”

“Of course, we don’t want to see Indians dying on the battlefield… This particular problem involves those agencies, mediators, and some shady individuals who misled Indian nationals in the first place,” Alipov said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently busted a human trafficking network spread across several states that lured men through social media channels and agents with promises of highly paid jobs in Russia.