Putin is not afraid of NATO’s promises, he is afraid of their fulfillment, - Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that deterring Russia depends on the allies’ actual fulfillment of their defense commitments, not just on statements.
According to Censor.NET, citing European Truth, the secretary-general made this statement during a discussion at the Atlantic Council.
According to him, last year the leaders reached an agreement to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, and also agreed on continued support for Ukraine and the expansion of defense production.
"This summer is all about fulfilling our commitments, staying on a steady course, and the fact that we spent nearly 20% more last year is already proof that this is happening. Now we need to make sure we’re on a steady path toward 5%, and I can see that this is definitely happening, especially when it comes to defense."
"The most important thing is for Moscow to understand: 'Hey, we can fight you today, and we'll make sure that if you take any foolish action against us, we'll be ready to defend ourselves,'" Rutte clarified.
He added that the summit in The Hague was a great success because the countries were able to make commitments.
"But it is important to fulfill our commitments, and that, as I see it, is what needs to happen in Ankara—and that is even more important. Because, after all, Putin is not afraid of commitments; he is afraid of their fulfillment, and that is exactly what we are doing, Volodymyr—we will defend ourselves," the secretary-general said.
What happened before that?
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Alliance countries' intention to significantly strengthen defense-industrial cooperation and emphasized their advantage over Russia.
