Newly appointed NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte has begun his four-year term by backing Ukraine’s right to conduct long-range strikes inside Russia. Speaking in Kyiv on October 5 during his first official visit as NATO chief, Rutte said Ukraine “obviously” has the right to defend itself with attacks on Russian territory. “International law here is on the side of Ukraine, meaning that this right does not end at the border,” he commented. “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.”
Rutte, whose officially took over as NATO General Secretary on October 1, said that Russia and not Ukraine was guilty of crossing red lines, but noted that any Ukraine’s partners would each need to decide whether to sanction strikes. “It is up to each ally to determine its support for Ukraine,” he stated in Kyiv. “I know some of these discussions are ongoing, but in the end, that’s not for NATO. That’s up to each ally to decide what restrictions are there on the weapons they deliver to Ukraine.”
The new NATO chief’s comments come amid mounting calls for Western leaders to lift restrictions that currently prevent Ukraine from using Western-supplied missiles to strike back against military targets inside Russia. Ukrainian officials say these measures protect Putin’s war machine while forcing Ukraine to fight with one hand tied behind its back. Many of Ukraine’s partners support giving Kyiv the green light for attacks. However, the United States remains reluctant, citing possible escalation risks.