NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, will participate in a ceremony at NATO HQ in Brussels this week to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The visit by the former Dutch PM marks a week of similar events in Brussels and elsewhere which all aim to mark the anniversary of a war that, despite US-led peace talks, shows no current sign of ending.

Elsewhere and also on Tuesday, the President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Kyiv, Ukraine, alongside the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to mark the fourth anniversary.

During the visit, they will participate in the official memorial ceremony, commemorating the four years of war. They will also visit an energy infrastructure site said to be damaged by Russian missile strikes.

In addition, Presidents Costa and von der Leyen will hold a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The leaders will also attend a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

As the bitter war enters its fifth year, the meeting will, said an EU council spokesman, “reaffirm the commitment of the 35 participating countries to support Ukraine in achieving a lasting and robust peace, ensuring the security of both Ukraine and Europe.”

Costa said, “In February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal war against Ukraine, violating its sovereignty and international law.

“Since that day, the European Union has stood staunch and steadfast in solidarity with the Ukrainian people — with those who have lost loved ones, those who have been wounded, and all who continue to endure this unjust suffering.

“Four years later, we reaffirm that our support remains strong, united, and unwavering.”

This will be Costa’s fourth visit to Ukraine, since the beginning of his mandate as President of the European Council on 1 December 2024.

The council spokesman said, “The European Union has from the very beginning stood by Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right to self-defence against Russia’s full-scale war of aggression. The EU has adopted unprecedented sanctions against Russia.

The EU and its member states are Ukraine’s biggest provider of financial, economic, military and humanitarian support.

Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression, they have provided €193.3 billion in support for Ukraine and its people. The assistance includes: