NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a press conference before the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
Rutte stated that urgent security issues would be discussed at the meeting and King Abdullah II of Jordan, one of NATO’s most important partners in the Middle East, was also invited to the meeting. He announced that ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and their impact on Euro-Atlantic security would be on the agenda with the participation of King Abdullah.
“PUTIN IS TRYING TO GAIN MORE TERRITORY”
Emphasizing that Ukraine has entered another critical winter season, Rutte said, “Putin is increasing his reckless rhetoric and actions. He is using Ukraine as a testing ground for missiles and deploying North Korean soldiers in this illegal war. Putin does not want peace. He is exerting pressure and trying to gain more territory, thinking he can break Ukraine’s and our resolve, but he is wrong”.
Rutte emphasized the need for more support for Ukraine, saying, “The stronger the military support we provide to Ukraine, the stronger their position will be at the negotiation table. This way, we can put an end to Russian aggression in Ukraine as soon as possible.”
“RUSSIA AND CHINA TRY TO DESTABILIZE OUR COUNTRIES”
Stating that NATO foreign ministers will discuss Russia’s hostile actions against NATO allies tomorrow, Rutte said, “In recent years, Russia and China have tried to destabilize our countries with sabotage acts, cyber-attacks, and energy blackmail. Their goal is to intimidate us. However, these actions will not affect our determination to support Ukraine or strengthen our own defense. NATO allies will continue to take a series of measures such as increasing intelligence sharing and better protecting our critical infrastructure to deal with these threats.”.
Rutte emphasized that they will focus on Ukraine’s urgent needs at the meeting, expressing that their goal is to increase support for Ukraine to ensure that the country starts peace negotiations from a strong position. Rutte said, “The most important thing we need to do right now is to ensure that when the Ukrainian government decides to enter negotiations, they start these talks in the strongest position possible.”
Responding to a question regarding his meeting with the newly elected US President, Donald Trump, Rutte said that he could not share Trump’s statements regarding Ukraine, but mentioned that an unfavorable peace for Ukraine would also threaten the security of the US.
“RUSSIA PAYS FOR SUPPORT WITH MISSILE TECHNOLOGY”
While discussing the war in Ukraine, Rutte emphasized the importance of also discussing China, Iran, and North Korea, who act together with Russia. He said, “Russia, for example, pays back the support with missile technology, which is used by North Korea not only to threaten us but also South Korea, Japan, and the US. So, all these are interconnected, and when an agreement is reached on Ukraine, it must be a good one for Ukraine. Because Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping, the Russian leader, and Iran cannot congratulate each other thinking that a bad deal has been made for Ukraine. This could give them courage to do things to other countries. This situation is not only critical for Europe but also for the defense of the US in the Pacific and Atlantic.”
Speaking about the situation in Georgia, which has been the scene of protests against the government amid violent incidents, Rutte said, “Reports of violence are deeply concerning, and I strongly condemn them. I call on the government to do everything in its power to ensure peace and stability, which I believe is in the best interest of all Georgians.”
Rutte said that NATO allies called on the Georgian government to continue to progress toward “further European Union (EU) and NATO integration”.
