“NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Europe to continue supporting Ukraine, warning that otherwise the continent would face serious security challenges.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Mark Rutte. Photo: Getty Images Source: “European truth”, Rütte in an interview with DPA
Details: According to the Secretary General of NATO, in order to prevent Russian ruler Vladimir Putin’s attempts to attack a member of the Alliance, Ukraine must remain strong.
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He also emphasized the need to increase defense spending by NATO members in line with commitments agreed at the alliance’s summit in The Hague in June.
“If we do these two things, we will be strong enough to defend ourselves and Putin will never try (to attack NATO. – ed.),” Rutte said.
He also said that the rearmament of Europe should take place quickly, adding that according to various intelligence estimates, the security situation could worsen as early as 2027.
Rutte pointed to Russia’s military spending as evidence of the threat posed by Putin, saying Moscow now spends more than 40% of its national budget on defense.
He added that the war in Ukraine demonstrated Putin’s willingness to accept heavy casualties, citing estimates that some 1.1 million Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded.
President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulidis promisedthat his country will make supporting Ukraine a priority during its presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins on January 1.
Previously, Volodymyr Zelenskyi saidthat the USA and some European countries did not support Ukraine’s accession to NATO as a security guarantee in the framework of the negotiations surrounding the peace plan of the American administration.