EU leaders meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a summit in Brussels struck a cautious note on the prospect of sending the western fighter jets Kyiv says it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression.

Speaking on his way into the first in-person summit with Zelenskyy in Brussels, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said that Ukraine’s allies needed to ensure they are not getting themselves into a direct confrontation with Russia.

“You have to make absolutely sure you are not getting into an Article 5 direct confrontation between Nato and Russia,” he said, in a reference to the collective defence provision of the Nato treaty. Rutte said the pros and cons of such decisions should only be discussed behind closed doors, given the sensitivity of the topic.