Rutte: NATO countries must do more than just keep Ukraine in fight
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Getty Images)
NATO countries need to increase their support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. Simply helping the Ukrainian military hold its ground is not enough, stated NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to Reuters.
"We must recommit to stay the course of the war and we must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We need to raise the cost for Putin and his enabling authoritarian threats by providing Ukraine with the support it needs to change the trajectory of the conflict," Rutte said at a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
At the same time, the NATO Secretary General pointed out that Russia, which is cooperating with China, Iran, and North Korea, poses a threat to peace and security not only in Europe but also in the Indo-Pacific region and North America.
Meanwhile, the French leader emphasized that he will insist on continued support for Ukraine for as long as necessary.
"It is the only way towards negotiations and I want to be clear when the time comes, nothing should be decided on Ukraine without the Ukrainians and on Europe without the Europeans," Macron said.
Ukraine's aid from Allies
Ukraine continues to receive military assistance from Western allies, but they have not responded to all of Kyiv's requests.
In particular, Ukrainian officials have long been asking France, the UK, and the US to lift the ban on using the provided long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russia.
Additionally, as The Guardian recently reported, the UK has not transferred additional Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine over the year.
