West ‘not ready’ to shoot down Russian missiles – Zelensky

The US and its allies are delaying deliveries of weapons to Kiev and aren’t yet willing to act as Ukraine’s air defense, Vladimir Zelensky has said.

On Thursday, Zelensky met with the new NATO secretary-general, Mark Rutte, who hastened to Kiev just two days after taking over the job from the bloc’s decade-long head Jens Stoltenberg.

“We will continue to convince our partners of the need to shoot down Russian missiles and drones,” Zelensky told reporters, noting that “they are not ready yet.”

Kiev has been trying to get NATO countries to extend their air defense envelopes into Ukrainian territory for months, arguing that the missile systems donated by the West can’t cope with the incoming Russian fire.

Ukraine even signed a security pact with Poland with that provision in July, only for Warsaw to backtrack, citing the need for consultations with NATO.

At a press conference with Rutte, Zelensky also argued that Ukraine needs “a sufficient quantity and quality of weapons” in order to turn the tide on the battlefield, “including long-range weapons, the provision of which, in my opinion, is being delayed by our partners.”

Rutte said that he chose Kiev as his first destination “to make crystal-clear to you, to the people of Ukraine and to everyone watching, that NATO stands with Ukraine.”

The former Dutch PM told Zelensky it was his “priority and privilege” to support Kiev and work “to ensure that Ukraine prevails.” He also said that “the day will come that Ukraine is a full member of NATO,” insisting that on that issue, Russia “has no vote and no veto.”

Rutte sidestepped questions about air defenses and restrictions on use of Western long-range weapons, however, noting that this is not for NATO to decide, but for individual members of the bloc.

“Shooting down drones or missiles violating Allied territory are, of course, decisions for the national authorities,” Rutte said, but because this also affects NATO, the member states are “continuing to consult closely when these situations arise.”

As for restrictions on the use of weapons delivered to Ukraine, “that’s up for each ally to decide,” and “not for NATO,” Rutte said, but the bloc intends to discuss the issue at its October 12 meeting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that the issue was not about allowing Ukraine this or that, but about the fact that long-range weapons can’t be used without direct involvement of Western militaries.

“This will mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries are fighting against Russia,” Putin said at the time. This would change the very nature of the Ukraine conflict and require Russia to “make the appropriate decisions.”