NATO Secretary General Rutte: Future of European and global security depends on outcome of war in Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes that the future of European and global security depends on the outcome of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"The future of European and global security depends on the outcome of the war in Ukraine. We all want this war to end. But most of all, we want peace to last. I do not know how and when the war will end, but I know that peace will not last long if Putin gets his way in Ukraine, because then he will move forward," Rutte said.
The NATO Secretary General also believes that peace will not last long if "the war ends with an agreement in which Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un and the regime in Tehran high-five each other." "A deal in Ukraine that serves their interests paves the way for global instability. Therefore, I am convinced that peace can only last if Ukraine comes to the negotiating table from a position of strength," he explained.
In this regard, Rutte reiterated that Ukraine needs help to do so. "More weapons and faster, so that they (Ukrainians) can better defend themselves and negotiate for Ukraine, Europe and the world," the NATO Secretary General added.
The NATO Secretary General reminded that he participated in the Ramstein Group meeting, during which the United States and European allies announced further assistance to Ukraine. "NATO and the European Union have a lot to do together. And I can count on you as members of the European Parliament to continue to support Ukraine, them and our freedom," he said to the MEPs.
Rutte also believes that if Europeans are safe today, "in five years we will not be safe." "So we have to start today. Spend more, increase production, build resilience and support Ukraine," he said.
"I have said it before and I will say it again: I am deeply concerned about the security situation in Europe. We are not at war, but we are not at peace. The good news is that we know what to do to protect our people and way of life, now and in the long term. We just need to do it. This means we need to invest more in defense and develop more capabilities. This cannot wait. We must increase the resilience of our societies and critical infrastructure. And we must maintain and strengthen our support for Ukraine to change the trajectory of the war and deter further Russian aggression in the future. In all of this - defense, resilience - Ukraine, NATO and the EU must work side by side," Rutte said.