Rutte discusses with Zelenskyy and Starmer permission for strikes deep into Russia with Western weapons

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, they discussed the possibility of permitting Kyiv to strike far into Russian Federation territory with Western weapons.

Rutte stated after a meeting with Zelenskyy and Starmer that he had a great talk with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Starmer, but that the attitude on long-range strikes on military facilities deep into Russia with Western weapons has not changed.

"Of course, we discussed this. I was [in Kyiv last week], we discussed it today. But in the end, it is up to the individual Allies," Rutte said. 

"In the end it is up to the Allies who deliver certain weapons systems into Ukraine, whether they can be used for long-range distance [strikes] into Russia. But again, legally that’s possible."

According to Mark Rutte, the law allows for Ukraine to deploy weapons against targets in Russia if they pose a threat to it. However, in the end, it is up to each Ally to make their own decision.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he spent the morning discussing Ukraine's Victory Plan with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In late September, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that a decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range Western weapons against military targets in Russia may be made by early winter.