NATO's newly-appointed Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Ukraine's right to self-defense "does not end at the border," amid refusals from some allies to allow Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes deep into Russian territory with Western-made missiles.
"First of all, Ukraine obviously has the right to defend itself, and international law here is on the side of Ukraine, meaning that this right does not end at the border," Rutte said at a press conference during his visit to Kyiv on Thursday — his first official trip since taking office.
"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," he added.
Rutte used the opportunity to reiterate NATO's support to Ukraine. "To make crystal clear to you, to the people of Ukraine, and to everyone watching, that NATO stands with Ukraine," he said, adding: "As the new NATO Secretary General, it is my priority and my privilege to take this support forward, working with you to ensure that Ukraine prevails."
Rutte's comments come as the US and other Ukrainian allies fear that allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory using advanced weapons made in the West would lead to an escalation of the conflict.
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country would amend its nuclear doctrine to lower the bar for the use of nuclear weapons.
"The updated version of the document is supposed to regard an aggression against Russia from any non-nuclear state but involving or supported by any nuclear state as their joint attack against the Russian Federation," Putin stated.
