Rutte on supporting Ukraine: 'All in Europe will need to give more'

The NATO Secretary General noted that he is "very optimistic" about today’s meeting in London. According to Rutte, there are three key points to be discussed at the summit of European leaders.

"Support Ukraine today. All in Europe will need to give more," the NATO Secretary General emphasized.

Secondly, Rutte stated that all European countries seek a peace agreement in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

"And it (the deal -ed.) has to last. Europe is really stepping up here," added Rutte.

The third important issue at the London meeting is maintaining the strength of the North Atlantic Alliance.

"To keep NATO strong, Europe will increase defense spending," said Rutte.

Summit in London

As a reminder, the summit on Ukraine is taking place in London on March 2, convened by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in London the day before and is present at the summit.

The summit is attended by leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Romania, as well as the Turkish foreign minister, the NATO Secretary General, and the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council.

The main topics of the summit are:

• Strengthening Ukraine’s current position, including continued military aid and increasing economic pressure on Russia.
• The need for a strong and long-term agreement that ensures sustainable peace in Ukraine and guarantees the country's ability to deter and defend against potential future attacks from Russia.
• Next steps in developing reliable security guarantees.