Ukrainian President and NATO Secretary-General Discuss Victory Plan, Membership and Long-Range Strikes

Ukraine's priorities are joining NATO, implementing the decisions of the Washington Summit and jointly shooting down Russian missiles and drones. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv. This is the first foreign visit of Mark Rutte as the head of the North Atlantic Alliance. 

Zelenskyy noted that this makes it immediately clear what the priorities are, where the common values of the entire Euro-Atlantic are being defended.

At the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the prospects for cooperation, the Victory Plan and the realism of Ukraine's approach to a just end to the war, the situation on the battlefield, as well as the needs of Ukrainian units, including weapons and brigade manning.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that one of the elements of the Victory Plan is geopolitical certainty, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

‘In particular, part of the plan is geopolitical certainty, that is, a decision on Ukraine's place in the European and global security architecture. Moscow must receive a clear signal that the guaranteed security for Ukraine and the whole of Europe is irreversible, as well as the independent right of every democratic nation in Europe to determine its future,’ Zelenskyy said.

A separate focus of the conversation was the need for air defence. It is important for Ukraine to implement all air defence agreements, including those reached at the NATO summit in Washington in July this year, before the start of winter. In addition, the leaders discussed additional cooperation with neighbours, using the example of the Middle East. 

‘Jointly shooting down Iranian missiles is no different from shooting down Russian missiles, from shooting down Iranian ‘Shahed’, which combine the Russian and Iranian regimes. Greater determination of partners in our region is what is needed to put an end to Russian terror,’ the President stressed. 

In his turn, Mark Rutte noted that in the post of NATO Secretary General, he would do everything possible to strengthen support for Ukraine.

Following the meeting, the President of Ukraine noted that the long-range capability should finally be provided in the way it is needed to end this war.