Support for Ukraine is essential to ensure that Putin never attacks NATO, - Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Europe to continue supporting Ukraine. Otherwise, the continent will face serious challenges—namely, Russian aggression.
Rutte said this in an interview with DPA, according to Censor.NET.
Support for Ukraine
According to the NATO Secretary General, Ukraine must remain strong in order to prevent attempts by Russian dictator Putin to attack a member of the Alliance.
He also stressed the need for NATO members to increase defense spending in line with the 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 stressed.
The threat is already looming in 2027
The Alliance Secretary General also noted that Europe's rearmament must take place quickly, as various intelligence assessments suggest that the security situation could escalate as early as 2027.
Rutte pointed to Russia's military spending as evidence of the threat Putin poses. Russia currently allocates more than 40% of its national budget to defense, he noted.
- He added that the war in Ukraine had demonstrated Putin's willingness to accept heavy losses, citing estimates that around 1.1 million Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded.
