NATO's next summit will send a powerful message to Putin - Rutte
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Getty Images)
The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will be extremely important for the entire world. Alliance members are determined to fulfill their commitments, and that is exactly what Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin fears most, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated.
The NATO chief recalled that in 2025, Alliance members agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defense. They also approved a significant increase in support for Ukraine.
According to Rutte, NATO's defense spending last year was already 20% higher than expected. He said this sends a clear message to Putin.
Rutte said the key message for Moscow was that NATO was ready to fight if necessary and was ensuring it could respond to any aggressive move by Russia.
The NATO secretary general also said he believes the Alliance's summit in The Hague was highly successful because member states made concrete commitments.
"It is great to have commitments, but then to deliver on those commitments. And that, what I am seeing is going to happen in Ankara — it is even more important. Because in the end, Putin is not afraid of commitments; he is afraid of implementing those commitments. And that is exactly what we are doing. Vladimir, we will defend ourselves," Rutte said, addressing the Russian leader.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that NATO members are prepared to allocate a massive amount of funding to help deter Russia. They are ready to do so even without US participation.
RBC-Ukraine also previously reported that Mark Rutte explained in detail why Putin would have no chance of winning in the event of a war with NATO.
Rutte's latest remarks also sparked an awkward moment, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressing her dissatisfaction.
