US is putting enough pressure on Russia. - Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that accusations of insufficient pressure on Russia by the US are unfair. According to him, Washington continues to exert pressure through sanctions and arms supplies to Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform, the secretary general made this statement to journalists before the start of the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.
This statement is unfair. The US is putting pressure on Russia in various ways, as are the Europeans, through sanctions packages... Look at what is happening with Lukoil, Rosneft, and others," Rutte said, noting that the US continues to provide Ukraine with critical weapons through the PURL initiative.
The Secretary General emphasized that US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, who was present at the meeting, consistently advocates strengthening the defense capabilities of European allies.
Washington's leading role in peace talks
"There is only one country, the most powerful nation on Earth, the US, which can do this under President Trump's leadership, overcome the impasse with Putin, and start the peace process," Rutte said, adding that the US is doing "exactly what we need when it comes to Ukraine."
The Secretary General also recalled the "good news" from British Defense Minister John Healy, who announced the allocation of half a billion pounds sterling for air defense as part of both bilateral aid and the PURL program.
"Ukrainians are steadfast, they are fighting, but missiles continue to strike their civilian infrastructure and peaceful residents," Rutte said.
