NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte has stressed the need for military capabilities to be bolstered to keep the European continent safe.
Speaking at the IISS Prague Defence Summit, he noted that Europe needs to respond to “Russia and China investing heavily to build up and modernise their militaries” at “a remarkable, I might say, at a staggering rate.”
He said that this equipment is being used against Ukraine, and while the alliance is “working to end this aggression as quickly as possible,” Europe should not be naive about the future.
“This trend is not going to shift or reverse anytime soon. Russia is and for the foreseeable future, will remain, a destabilising and confrontational force in Europe and the world.”
Mark Rutte
Rutte said that despite adopting more ambitious spending targets earlier this year, “cash alone can’t provide security.”
“We need the capabilities, real firepower, heavy metal, as well as new tech, and that’s what our defence industry across the Alliance needs to deliver faster than ever in Europe and also in the United States. Simply all over the Alliance, we are not producing enough.”
Mark Rutte
Nonetheless, he said, “we are already turning the tide on defence production,” adding, “We are gradually refilling our stocks and narrowing the production gap with Russia.”
He dissuaded some people’s worry about a new arms race, saying, “our own aim, I can tell you, is not to provoke.”
“Our aim is to protect and to ensure that we can continue to enjoy the freedom and security that we all hold so dear, the freedom and security that NATO was founded to preserve.”
Mark Rutte
Also, Rutte said that Russia’s war against Ukraine is the most obvious threat to the bloc but “the threat will not end when this war does, nor is the challenge limited to Russia.” He pointed out that China, Iran and North Korea pose challenges “individually and as a result of the cooperation.”
“They are increasing their defence industrial collaboration to unprecedented levels. They are preparing for long term confrontation. And as I said earlier, the challenges we face are lasting. So we must be prepared.”
Mark Rutte
Rutte Praises Trump’s Impact On NATO
Moreover, Rutte gave US President, Donald Trump credit for motivating some countries to step up and increase their defence spending.
He said that it was thanks to Trump that NATO is “finally dealing with this enormous pebble in the shoe, this enormous irritant that Europeans and Canada were basically lecturing the Americans, but not spending the money.”
On Russia, he said that Trump “broke the deadlock” on Ukraine, insisting that “starting that conversation with Putin was important and crucial.” He stressed,“He took that leadership role, and it is not easy to solve this, but he is absolutely committed to doing that.”
“We are now working on these security guarantees necessary to make sure that also Zelenskyy knows that if he starts into conversations with the Russians, hopefully soon, that he has the backup and that he knows that that the security guarantees will in place so that Russia, after a peace deal, will never ever again to try to invade Ukraine, so no repeat of Budapest and no repeat of the Minsk agreement.”
Mark Rutte
He asserted that it is not up to Russia to decide if Ukraine can have foreign troops as security guarantees.
“But why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide…Russia has nothing to do with this. Ukraine is a sovereign nation.”
Mark Rutte
He added that if Ukraine wants to have security guarantee forces in Ukraine to support the peace deal, it’s up to them, saying, “Nobody else can decide about it.”
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