New NATO boss backs Ukraine’s plea for deep strikes into Russia

NATO’s new Secretary-General Mark Rutte piled pressure Thursday on hesitant Western countries who refused to give Ukraine the right to use advanced weapons to strike military targets deep inside Russia.

Rutte, during an unannounced visit to Kyiv just 48 hours after taking over NATO leadership, said in a press conference next to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “Ukraine obviously has the right to defend itself, and international law here is on the side of Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s right to self-defense, according to Rutte, “does not end at the border, and Russia is pursuing this illegal war, and that means that targeting Russian fighter jets and missiles before they can be used against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure can help save lives.”

Ukraine has long argued that it’s necessary for Western countries to give permission to conduct such strikes. The U.S., Germany and some European countries, on the other hand, fear this could lead to escalation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Moscow recently revised its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons to amplify the threat.

Rutte’s support for Kyiv on this issue comes ahead of a crucial summit meeting on Oct. 12 to be led by U.S. President Joe Biden comprising all other Ukraine-supporting leaders, in the so-called Ramstein format. Washington has been under pressure to lift such restrictions before a difficult winter for Ukraine, where the majority of energy infrastructures is likely to be targeted by Russia.

“The only country here that has crossed a red line is not Ukraine. It is Russia, by starting this war,” Rutte said.

Zelenskyy said some NATO countries “are prolonging the process” — without naming names. He also called on Western countries to help shoot down Russian killer drones.

“The best way to not forget about Ukraine is to provide weaponry, to provide respective permissions … and to help down — by the way, the very same Iranian missiles and drones — to shoot them down, just as they are being shot down in the skies of Israel,” Zelenskyy said.