The new head of NATO, Mark Rutte, has been in his post for less than a week. He has already taken time to visit Ukraine to show his support.
Rutte held talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. He promised to help shore up Western assistance.
Rutte said, “I come to Ukraine at the start of my mandate to make crystal clear to you, to the people of Ukraine and to everyone watching, that NATO stands with Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy repeated his request for NATO allies to provide his forces with long-range weapons.
Zelenskyy said: “What we need in our region is more determination from our partners to put an end to Russian terror. We will continue to convince our partners of the need to shoot down Russian missiles and drones.”
Zelenskyy also explained his ideas for ending the war as part of what he calls his “victory plan.” He has not provided many details but hopes to rally support when he meets with leaders from more than 50 countries next week in Germany.