US will not stop supporting Ukraine and will not withdraw from collective defence of Europe, - Rutte
The United States remains a key NATO partner and financially supports Ukraine in its war with Russia, ensuring the security of Europe.
According to Censor.NET, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this in an in an interview with Bild
"I don't think that will happen at all. We are currently seeing that the exchange of information and the supply of weapons to Ukraine are continuing. In The Hague, we witnessed a major breakthrough by President Trump in foreign policy: a 5% target for defence spending and a commitment to keep Ukraine strong. For this year alone, we have planned deliveries worth $5 billion for Ukraine. Currently, about $4.3 billion of this has been financially secured. We are working to continue this next year. So the situation is good," Rutte replied when asked about the possible refusal of the US to continue supporting Ukraine.
He also expressed scepticism about the assumption that the US wants to ‘"withdraw from Europe." Rutte believes that the US remains a partner of European countries in matters of security and collective defence.
"Absolutely! Trump has clearly expressed his support for NATO, but he has also clearly expressed his expectation that we will significantly increase our spending. And we are doing that. Germany is doing that – and I am very impressed. Europeans are taking responsibility in this voluntary coalition, they are defending the eastern flank, the Baltics – under clear European leadership. All this shows that we are taking action. And the US has clearly stated that it remains involved in Europe – both in the nuclear and conventional spheres. Withdrawal from Europe is not up for discussion," Rutte said.
A secure Europe is a secure America
He also pointed out the reasons why NATO "is directly relevant to US security."
"Firstly, a secure Europe means a secure America. Secondly, the Arctic – seven coastal states, new sea routes, China and Russia are actively involved there. A safe Arctic is crucial for the security of the continental United States, and we can only achieve this together. Thirdly, the North Atlantic – to protect the United States, we must ensure the security of the North Atlantic. This is also only possible together with NATO. Therefore, the United States has a direct interest in maintaining security in NATO. For a long time, there was a major factor that prevented this: we Europeans were spending too little. Now we are making up for lost time," Rutte said.
