Today at 16:23
On Thursday, October 3, the new Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte, arrived in Kyiv.
This is Rutte’s first foreign visit in his new role.
The new NATO Secretary General has already held talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and following their meeting, they held a press conference.
Recall that during his first press conference as NATO Secretary General on October 1, Mark Rutte refrained from making predictions about when Ukraine might receive an invitation to join.
Rutte also stated that the decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range Western weapons should be made by the allies supplying that weaponry.
At the same time, he emphasized that he understands Ukraine’s request and supports the position of his predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, on this matter.
After meeting with the NATO Secretary General, Zelenskyy expressed his expectation that the Alliance countries will change their stance on protecting Ukraine’s skies.
“More decisiveness from our partners in the region is needed to put an end to Russian terror. We will continue to persuade our partners,” he said.
In response to the same question, the NATO Secretary General avoided providing a detailed answer regarding the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine.
However, Zelenskyy added a brief phrase: “The allies are not ready.”
Read also: Ukraine is ramping up arms production but still requires significant Western assistance, – ISW
