“The discussion started with remarks by Mark Rutte that Ukraine needs reliable security guarantees, which should not be discussed publicly now”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The discussion started with Mark Rutte’s remarks that Ukraine needs reliable security guarantees, which should not be discussed publicly now, so that “negotiations with Putin do not begin without Putin at the table, and he will just sit in his chair in Moscow and tick boxes.” At the same time, Rutte insisted that he hopes for Ukraine’s membership in NATO “as soon as possible.”
US Special Envoy Richard Grenell, who joined the discussion via video link, reprimanded Rutte in response – both as the Secretary General of NATO and as the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, where defense spending reaches 2% of GDP.
“You will face serious problems if the Secretary General of NATO talks about Ukraine joining the Alliance. Americans pay for defense, and you can’t ask the American people to expand the NATO umbrella when current members aren’t paying their fair share. This also applies to the Dutch, who need to step up,” Grenell said.
In response, Mark Rutte agreed that the 2% of GDP on defense currently targeted by NATO is “not even close to enough”.
According to him, China produces military products six times faster than the United States, and the entire NATO industry “from California to Ankara” produces as much ammunition in a year as Russia does in a few months.
Rutte also appealed to the Europeans, noting that if the new Trump administration continues to supply weapons to Ukraine, it would be fair for the Europeans to pay for it.
“I am absolutely sure that we should be ready to do this, because now they pay more than the Europeans. And here Trump is right – this is a global conflict, but Ukraine is closer to Europe than to the USA,” said Rutte.
Read also: Trump is right that the EU “doesn’t spend enough” on defense – Callas
The day before, European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius called on the European Union to dramatically increase defense spending and accelerate the deadline for achieving NATO’s military goals from 2044 to 2030 due to the growing threat from Russia.
In September of last year, Andrius Kubilius stated that over the next few years it is necessary to invest more than 500 billion euros in the development of the European defense industry.