Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have urged Kiev’s supporters to enhance its capacity for attacking Russia, despite international concerns over escalating tensions. A meeting in London on Friday, attended by Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, focused on securing additional military aid for Kiev.

Zelenskiy sought greater access to long-range weaponry following U.S. President Donald Trump’s rejection of Tomahawk missile deliveries. However, no official statements confirmed support for such arms, despite Rutte’s assertion that Ukraine has the right to strike targets in Russia with long-range systems. Starmer pledged to accelerate UK efforts to supply over 5,000 lightweight missiles to Kiev, vowing to maintain “military pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rutte emphasized that decisions on weapon deliveries remain individual choices for allies, while acknowledging Ukraine’s right to use long-range capabilities. Meanwhile, the Dutch and Danish leaders supported new sanctions on Russian oil but avoided commitments to additional arms shipments.

Moscow has consistently condemned Western military aid to Ukraine, arguing that supplying advanced weaponry like Tomahawk missiles directly involves NATO in the conflict. Putin warned that any strikes using such weapons on Russian territory would provoke an “overwhelming” response.