On Jan. 15 in Brussels, Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about recent Russian strikes that have triggered widespread power outages and deep human suffering. Rutte reiterated continued support to help Ukraine defend itself and seek a lasting peace. Zelenskiy called for strengthened air defences and said he expects increased PURL shipments from European allies in January, while noting diplomatic progress with the United States and Europe.
Mark Rutte and Volodymyr Zelenskiy Discuss Russian Strikes, Widespread Power Outages and Air Defences
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a joint press conference with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic (not pictured), in Zagreb, Croatia, January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
BRUSSELS, Jan 15 — Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday about the latest Russian strikes that have caused widespread power outages and strained Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“Spoke with @ZelenskyyUa about the energy situation in Ukraine, with Russia's attacks causing terrible human suffering, as well as on the ongoing efforts to bring an end to the war,” Rutte wrote on X on Thursday.
“We're committed to ensuring that Ukraine continues to get the crucial support needed to defend today and ultimately secure a lasting peace,” he added.
According to Zelenskiy’s account of the call, the leaders discussed the “serious challenges” posed by the recent strikes and stressed the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences to better protect critical infrastructure and civilians.
Writing on Telegram, Zelenskiy said he expects supplies routed to Ukraine through European allies under the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) programme to increase in January, helping to address immediate energy and defence needs.
Zelenskiy also said that “considerable progress” had been made in diplomatic talks with the United States and European partners on resolving the nearly four-year conflict and pledged not to “ease up on pace” in pursuing those efforts.
Reporting: Sudip Kar-Gupta. Editing: Benoit Van Overstraeten and Ron Popeski.
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