NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Kyiv’s “victory plan.” This visit marked Rutte’s first official trip to the Ukrainian capital since assuming his role as the head of the alliance.

During a joint press conference, Zelenskiy expressed his desire for Ukraine’s allies to intercept Iranian missiles and drones that Russia has been using in its assaults on Ukraine, similar to the actions taken by some of Israel’s allies in response to missile attacks from Tehran earlier this week.

Zelenskiy further urged allies to permit Ukraine to conduct deep strikes into Russian territory using the weaponry they provide, emphasizing that their hesitance is causing delays. He argued that enabling such strikes would significantly enhance Ukraine’s ability to disrupt Russian logistics and command structures. However, Ukraine’s allies have been cautious about this approach due to concerns over potential Russian retaliation. Rutte reiterated the commitment of the Western defense alliance to support Ukraine’s eventual membership.

Ukraine is now more aligned with NATO than at any previous time, and it will persist on this trajectory until it achieves membership in the alliance, he stated. Russia, which initiated its extensive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has consistently resisted Ukraine’s efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

On Tuesday, Rutte expressed robust support for Ukraine following his appointment as NATO chief, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg. Rutte, who was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands until earlier this year, was seen as a strong ally of Kyiv, having endorsed the transfer of Dutch F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.