New NATO head Mark Rutte prioritizes Ukraine, boosts defence spending
Mark Rutte, the new NATO Secretary General, after assuming office, announced that he would work on supporting Ukraine and strive to bring it closer to the Alliance. "Support for Ukraine is the right thing to do," he assured.
As Rutte emphasized at a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, his main priority will be to commit to increased defence funding. "To truly match our capabilities with our needs, we need significantly more defence spending," he declared.
Secondly, as he noted, the focus must be on support for Ukraine. "Supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do. And it is also an investment in our own security," he emphasised.
"The cost of supporting Ukraine is far, far lower than the cost we would face if we allow Putin to get his way," Rutte said.
He announced that he would work with allies to fully implement the military and financial support decisions made at the NATO summit in Washington in July this year and "continue to bring Ukraine closer to NATO."
The new Secretary General emphasized that Ukraine's right to self-defence "does not end at the border." Asked whether he supported the use of weapons provided to Ukraine by the West on Russian territory - for example, missiles - he replied yes, noting that the final decision on this matter rests with the countries that supply the equipment.
Rutte is the new NATO Secretary General. A decisive message to China
He admitted that the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine is difficult but added that Russia's progress comes at a very high cost. He also expressed confidence that aid to Ukraine would continue on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the opinion of the new NATO Secretary General, there is currently no direct threat of nuclear weapon use by Russia, despite the threats made by Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. "It's true that Putin's nuclear rhetoric is reckless and irresponsible, but at the same time, let me make it absolutely clear, we do not see any imminent threat of nuclear weapons being used," Rutte acknowledged.
The Dutchman was also asked about Beijing's involvement on Russia's side. He admitted that China has become a decisive factor enabling Russia's war in Ukraine. "China cannot continue to fuel the largest conflict in Europe since World War II without affecting its interests and reputation," he emphasized.
