Ukraine Strikes Moscow Oil Refinery as NATO Ministers Meet in Brussels

Ukraine struck an oil refinery on the outskirts of Moscow and other targets in Russia overnight, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as a fully justified response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russian authorities reported that the attack forced the suspension of commercial flights and airports for safety reasons, and caused a temporary shutdown of Moscow's ring road, with around 180 drones shot down over the capital.

The strikes came as NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels for the last ministerial meeting before next month's summit in Ankara. The alliance is expected to discuss defense spending plans, with the United States pressing European allies to take greater responsibility for the continent's security.

Speaking at the start of the meeting, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message, stating that NATO had become "a paper tiger and a one-way street." He argued that "Europe was not supposed to be a dependency of the United States" and called on allies to step up. Hegseth announced a six-month review of US forces in Europe, warning that some countries would fail and that US contributions to the NATO budget would be contingent on allies meeting their spending targets. He accused some allies of "free riding" and criticized their refusal to assist with US operations against Iran, calling it "shameful."

Hegseth also said that the US approach had been validated on Ukraine, with allies taking more responsibility, but acknowledged "real setbacks." He concluded that "this is not what any reasonable person would expect, and it's not going to cut it any more." NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded that there was "much to discuss and decide" on the day.

Later in the day, EU leaders are scheduled to meet for a European Council summit focusing on Ukraine and the Middle East.