NATO chief Rutte: “We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight”

Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has created new urgency for Western support of Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

Nov 13, 2024 - 03:00

NATO chief Rutte: “We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Western allies to increase military aid to Ukraine to change the war’s course.

This statement comes amid Donald Trump becoming US President, having previously declared his intention to end Russia’s war against Ukraine “in 24 hours.” Additionally, North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to Russia to support its war effort.

“We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We need to raise the cost for Putin and his enabling authoritarian friends by providing Ukraine with the support it needs to change the trajectory of the conflict,” Rutte said in Paris before meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Warning of broader global threats, Rutte emphasized Russia’s growing military cooperation with authoritarian states.

“Russia, working together with North Korea, Iran, and China, is not only threatening Europe but also the Indo-Pacific and North America. So we must stand together,” he noted.

Macron reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine “for as long as necessary,” adding that this is the only path to negotiations. He also called for a “strong Europe” as key to NATO and a response to “what the US administration rightly expects.”

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