Rutte on permission for deep strikes into Russia: each Ally decides on its own

Only NATO member states that have transferred long-range weapons to Ukraine can grant its Army permission to use those weapons against legitimate targets on the territory of the aggressor state.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this in Brussels during his first press conference as head of the Alliance, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Clearly, Ukraine is fighting this war of self-defense. That means that supporting Ukraine's right to self defence means that it is also possible for them to strike legitimate targets on the aggressor territory. At the end, it's up to each Ally to determine its support for Ukraine. That's not up to me. This is for the individual Allies in their relationship with Ukraine," said the new head of the Alliance.

He noted that the supply of military equipment from Western allies plays an crucial role in building up Ukraine's defense capabilities, but a single weapon alone cannot win the war.

"I understand Ukraine's request (to lift restrictions on deep strikes- ed.), but in the end, that is up to each Ally to decide what they want to do. For example, the United States and their leadership, they have spent tens of thousands, tens of billions in dollars to support Ukraine's right to self-defense. And let's be clear, Ukraine likely would not exist as a country today without U.S. support," said the NATO Secretary General.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 1, the NATO Headquarters in Brussels hosted a ceremony where the powers of the NATO Secretary General were handed by Jens Stoltenberg to the new head of the Alliance, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.

Photo: AA