Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Thursday — two days after assuming the role of NATO Secretary General.

Rutte met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as air raid sirens sounded in the city, promising "to make crystal clear" to all observers that the Western military alliance stands with Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion. 

What the NATO chief said

Speaking alongside Zelenskyy, Rutte said Ukraine's "fight for freedom" reflects NATO's core principles and values.

"Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before and will continue on this path until you become a member of our alliance," Rutte told Zelenskyy.

"Ukraine gets stronger day by day, more interoperable with NATO and better prepared than ever to join our alliance," he said. "And this is basically building the bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine."

Rutte added that it was also important for NATO members to boost production to be able to provide weapons for Ukraine and restock the depleted arsenals of members.

"In the last few weeks, several allies announced further military aid for Ukraine, including new contributions from Denmark, from Latvia, the United Kingdom and nearly $8 billion of assistance from the United States," Rutte said.

"Supporting Ukraine and replenishing our own stocks means increasing industrial production, and that will be a priority for me."

Ruttte has previously visited Ukraine when serving as Dutch prime minister, including the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv.

What the Ukrainian president said

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said his government was keen to convince its Western backers to shoot down Russian missiles and drones fired against Ukraine. His comments came after NATO members protected Israel from Iranian attacks. 

"We will continue to convince our partners of the need to shoot down Russian missiles and drones. We realize that this is a difficult decision ... they are not ready yet."

He also reiterated his country's need for air defense and long-range weapons. Zelenskyy said he believed that Ukraine's supporters were "prolonging the process" to deliver them. 

"We need sufficient quantity and quality of weapons, including long-range weapons, that, in my opinion, our partners are already dragging out," Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president said he and Rutte had discussed elements of Ukraine's "victory plan," ahead of a NATO meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany next week. 

rc/sms (dpa, AP)