NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was in Kiev on Thursday for a surprise visit on his first official trip, vowing the alliance's continued support to Ukraine.
Rutte said it was important for him to visit Kiev at the start of his mandate "to make crystal clear" to all observers that NATO stands with Ukraine.
Public details of the visit were kept limited for security reasons, a NATO official said.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 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 [Ukraine] becomes a member of our alliance," Rutte added.
Zelensky said that Ukrainians deserve to join NATO and that Moscow must get "a clear signal that guaranteed security for Ukraine and for all of Europe is inevitable."
The Ukrainian president reiterated his country's need for air defence and long-range weapons, noting his belief that Ukraine's supporters are "prolonging the process" to deliver them.
Zelensky added that NATO allies can help protect Ukraine from Russian missiles just like they protect Israel from Iranian attacks.
"The joint downing of Iranian missiles does not differ from a joint downing of Russian missiles," he said.
Rutte said that a decision to shoot down "drones or missiles violating allied territory" is for the national authorities to decide, but that NATO would consult allies closely.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has pushed for Poland to shoot down Russian drones and missiles approaching his country from Ukraine before they enter Polish airspace.
This is in opposition to the official NATO stance that such a policy would risk an escalation of the war through a possible direct confrontation with Russian forces.
An early demand from Ukraine since the start of the all-out Russian invasion is for a no-fly zone to be established over the country.
The NATO secretary general had previously visited Ukraine in his capacity as Dutch prime minister including the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv.
His visit comes ahead of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group - a United States led body soon to be absorbed into NATO - to coordinate weapon deliveries to Ukraine.
Kiev has pushed for restrictions on long-range weapons supplied by the West from attacking inside Russia to be lifted. Rutte said that such a decision was up to the individual NATO ally in question.
Rutte took office this week after NATO's 32 members backed his appointment.
The Dutch politician secured the early backing of the United States, Germany and Britain despite his record of low defence spending in government.
Rutte, a centre-right politician, was the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history. His initial term as NATO secretary general is to be four years.
The top NATO official is tasked with the political leadership of the alliance and ensuring consensus among allies, particularly when navigating complex issues during times of crisis.
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