Zelenskyy Thanks NATO’s Rutte, Discusses Boosting Air Defense and International Support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in London, focusing on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses and expanding international support amid ongoing Russian attacks, Zelenskyy stated on March 18.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed a range of security issues, including developments surrounding Iran and Russia’s role in supporting Tehran militarily.

Zelenskyy emphasized the need to increase sanctions pressure on Russia in order to limit its ability to finance its war effort.

A key part of the talks centered on boosting Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, including expanding participation in the PURL initiative, which enables countries to fund the purchase of Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine.

“I met with Mark Rutte. We discussed many different topics, but first and foremost strengthening air defense and protecting our people from Russian attacks,” Zelenskyy said.

“We are very grateful for the PURL initiative, which allows us to purchase missiles for the Patriots from the United States. We will work to bring new countries into this initiative and increase contributions.”

Zelenskyy also addressed the broader geopolitical context, warning that Russia should not benefit from escalating tensions involving Iran.

“Of course, we also discussed the situation around Iran and its impact on Ukraine and all of Europe. Russia must not gain any benefit from this or any opportunity to prolong its war against Ukraine,” he said.

The Ukrainian President also thanked Rutte for proposing what would be the first-ever Ukraine–NATO Council meeting in Kyiv at the ambassadorial level, calling it an important step in deepening cooperation between Ukraine and the alliance.

Earlier, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully disrupted a Russian offensive operation originally scheduled for March, 2026.

While Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues with persistent attacks and ongoing assaults, the current scale of the fighting does not match the original objectives set by the Russian leadership, he added.

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