Zelenskyy criticizes West's delays in long-range weapons delivery

The Guardian writes about this.

NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that his primary aim as head of the alliance is to ensure “Ukraine prevails.” In a significant gesture of support, Rutte made his first official visit to Kyiv since assuming the role. He emphasized that choosing Kyiv for his inaugural trip was intended to clearly demonstrate to Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian people, and the world that NATO stands firmly with Ukraine.

During a joint media appearance with Rutte, Zelenskyy criticized Western countries for delays in providing long-range weapons. “We need sufficient quantity and quality of weapons, including long-range weapons, that, in my opinion, our partners are already dragging out,” he said. Zelenskyy also urged NATO members to step up their efforts in helping Ukraine defend against Russian aerial attacks. “We will continue to convince our partners of the need to shoot down Russian missiles and drones,” he added, noting that “what works in the skies of the Middle East and helps Israel defend itself can also work in the skies of our part of Europe.”

In response to Zelenskyy’s remarks, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh stated, “we have a limited supply of long-range missiles” and emphasized that “we’re not dragging it out.”

• On Tuesday, October 1, Mark Rutte officially commenced his role as NATO Secretary General, identifying support for Ukraine as one of his top priorities.