As a Dutch prime minister, he remained one of the staunchest of Kyiv's allies, taking the lead with initiatives like providing F-16 planes to Ukraine.The NATO secretary general said on Oct. 1 that Ukraine would remain one of his top priorities amid Russia's ongoing war. Speaking at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Rutte reiterated that Ukraine's path towards NATO is "irreversible.""Now we are focused on getting Ukraine invited to join the alliance. This is a very important step. It is difficult to achieve. We are focused on this result. We will do everything to get it," Zelensky said.Earlier, Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia's full-scale war ends.