Rutte urges Europe to increase NATO spending. On Ukraine: Trump is playing ‘a very positive role’
The Secretary-General expects the allies to meet the target of spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035: the US will continue to provide essential military aid to Kyiv, but the cost will be borne by Europe
The Secretary-General of NATO, Mark Rutte, expects the allies to provide ‘clear, concrete and credible plans’ to achieve the target of 5 per cent of GDP spent on defence by 2035, if possible before the agreed deadline.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the meeting of the Alliance’s defence ministers, Rutte said that the allies would have to demonstrate progress in building ‘a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO’. “We need more forces, more resources and a much more robust industrial base,” he said.
The Ankara Summit
Ahead of the Ankara summit, Rutte added, allied nations will have to demonstrate how they are fulfilling the commitments made last year in The Hague. “Investing 5 per cent of GDP in defence by 2035: that is what we agreed,” said the Secretary-General. “I therefore expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to achieve this objective. Ideally, well ahead of the agreed timeline.”
The US pulls out
The United States will continue to provide Ukraine with essential military aid, including weapons systems that only Washington can supply, but the bulk of the funding will be borne by European allies and Canada. This is Rutte’s position, commenting on Western support for Kyiv and the message emerging from the G7 statement.
‘The key point – and I believe this is already evident from today’s G7 statement – is that the Western world, all NATO allies, are fully committed to ensuring that Ukraine maintains its position in the struggle against Russia, is able to defend itself and, when peace negotiations take place, can approach them from a position of strength,” he said.
