We see dangerous expansion of war - Rutte announces that NATO is strengthening air defense in Black Sea region
The North Atlantic Alliance is ready to effectively defend each ally, including in the Black Sea region, which is of strategic importance to NATO.
This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Ukrinform reports, Censor.NET reports .
Rutte noted that NATO is currently working to fulfill the commitments made during the July Washington Summit of the Alliance, for which member states support for Ukraine is as important as ever.
"We are seeing a dangerous expansion of the war, with North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine. This is in addition to the supplies of ammunition provided to Russia by North Korea, drones from Iran and dual-use goods supplied by China. All of this fuels Russia's war machine. This war demonstrates that our security is truly global," Rutte said.
According to the Secretary General, Russia's war against Ukraine only emphasizes the need to strengthen the air defense system. This remains one of the Alliance's key priorities.
Therefore, the leaders of NATO and Romania discussed, among other things, the joint efforts of the Allies to protect Romanian airspace from Russian violations and provocations.
"The ongoing intrusions of Russian drones and missiles into NATO airspace are reckless, dangerous and unacceptable. NATO has already reinforced its air defenses on its eastern flank, and right now, the Allies are inducting hundreds of 5th generation combat aircraft. I can tell you, Prime Minister(addressing Cholak - ed.), that NATO takes the security of the Black Sea region very seriously. We are ready to protect and defend every ally," Rutte said.
In addition, the NATO Secretary General thanked Romania for supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. In particular, he reminded that Romania had provided Ukraine with the Patriot system.
"Today we discussed the need to provide further assistance to Ukraine. Romania is a committed friend of Ukraine and provides substantial assistance, including the Patriot system to support critical air defense. You have also signed a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine, which underscores the sustainable nature of your support," Rutte said.
