Rutte supports Trump threatening Russia with sanctions
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Getty Images)
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed US President Donald Trump's threats of increased sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not stop its war against Ukraine. He urged the EU to "choke off the Russian economy" in an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"I was very, very happy with the position of Trump to put more sanctions on Russia. We know that the Russian economy is doing terribly badly, and the sanctions will help,” he said.
The NATO Secretary-General expressed hope that the EU would also tighten sanctions against Russia to "choke off" its economy and reduce its military coffers.
"Trump is right, Ukraine is closer to Europe, but Trump is also right that it is a geopolitical conflict so I’m sure the US wants it to end with a good and strong deal,” Rutte noted.
Sanctions against Russia
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the West has imposed a number of sanctions and restrictions on Russia to weaken its economy and ability to wage war. Key measures included disconnection from the SWIFT payment system, freezing assets, and restricting access to technologies, including chips and software.
Yesterday, January 22, Trump stated that he could impose new sanctions against Russia if Vladimir Putin refuses to sit down for negotiations with Ukraine.
