Kiev

Ukrainian convicts Volodymyr Barandich (C) and Arthur Kachurovsky (L) and a guard (R) wait in a courtyard of the Boryspil penal colony outside the town of Boryspil, Kiev region, on July 4, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Artur Kachurovsky is one of thousands of Ukrainian prisoners who have taken up the offer to join the army and fight the Russians in return for a pardon.

This handout from the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) account of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban @PM_ViktorOrban posted on July 11, 2024 shows Orban (L) posing with former U.S. president Donald Trump at Trump's estate in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida

NATO leaders on Thursday looked to bolster ties with Asian partners after slamming China as a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war, before holding talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the end of a summit in Washington.

The 32-nation alliance has used the pomp-filled set piece in the U.S. capital to showcase its resolve against Moscow and backing for Kiev.

With Russian attacks on energy infrastructure causing power cuts, Ukraine is depending on its central and eastern European neighbours to keep the lights on.

Ukraine in recent weeks has resorted to consumption restrictions and rolling blackouts after Russian forces stepped up attacks on the country's power stations and transmission lines.

NATO leaders on Thursday will hold talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and turn their attention to the challenge from China at a meeting with Asian partners, as they wrap up a three-day summit in Washington.

The 32-nation alliance has used the pomp-filled set piece in the U.S. capital to showcase its resolve against Russia and backing for Kiev.

: Heads of state including U.S. President (C) Joe Biden Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (4th R) arrive for a group photo during a NATO 75th anniversary celebratory event at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium on July 9, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told President Vladimir Putin that "war cannot solve problems" and urged peace on a trip to Moscow over two years into the Ukraine offensive.

The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Ukraine on Tuesday after a deadly Russian strike on a Kiev children's hospital, a spokesman for the world body said.

The session scheduled for 10:00 am (1400 GMT) follows a request from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.N. spokesman Farhan Aziz Haq told AFP.

Rescuers and volunteers clean up the rubble and search for victims after a Russian missile hit the country's main children hospital Okhmadit in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, July 8, 2024

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi take a walk during an informal meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, on July 8, 2024