Russian threat to NATO states will exist for many years even after peace agreement - Rutte
NATO has to plan how to protect its territory from Russia because its threat will not disappear with the conclusion of peace with Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, with reference to European Pravda, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this before the start of the North Atlantic Council meeting at the level of foreign ministers in Brussels on April 3.
"The focus for 2032 is on how to protect NATO territory from the Russians, our long-term threat, which will remain even after, I hope, a deal is concluded on Ukraine. The Russian threat will exist for many years to come," Rutte said.
The NATO Secretary General confirmed that the United States remains a reliable ally within the Alliance.
"You saw what President Trump himself said about Article 5, about NATO, about his full commitment," he recalled.
He added that he is aware of American expectations: "They expect Europeans and Canadians to spend more," and "this issue will be on the agenda today."
"There is a clear expectation on the part of the United States that we will match the costs of the European part of NATO with what they do. This is necessary because of the Russian threat, because of China's nuclear arms buildup, and, of course, because of Iran and North Korea," Rutte said.
As a reminder, Rutte said that during the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the allies would like to hear the opinion of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on the process of achieving a just peace for Ukraine.
