NATO must provide Ukraine with everything it needs to ensure long-term security — Mark Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the Alliance is working to facilitate a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia and a long-term ceasefire, adding that NATO must ensure Ukraine "has everything it needs," in response to a question from NV correspondent Nataliia Rop about the aid required for Ukraine to win the war, not just survive on June 25.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said aid to Ukraine in 2025 will exceed the $50 billion allocated last year, and the “end result will be positive.”
“We have to make sure that Ukraine can continue to fight and has everything it needs to be as strong as possible,” Rutte said. “But, of course, we are all working to achieve a peace agreement or a lasting ceasefire, and then we have to ensure that Ukraine has everything it needs so that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin never tries this [invasion] again in the future.”
Rutte emphasized that the first step in achieving this goal is ensuring Ukraine’s ability to defend itself after a peace agreement or ceasefire.
He also highlighted NATO’s current support for Ukraine, including training, the transfer of military equipment, the work of the command in Wiesbaden, financial assistance, and the development of Ukraine’s defense industry. These efforts will help Ukraine “be as strong as possible now” and enable it to deter further Russian aggression after a peace agreement or ceasefire, he said.
On June 25, NATO members reached an agreement on the final communiqué of their two-day summit in The Hague, the Netherlands. The document, obtained by NV correspondent Nataliia Rop, states that NATO members have committed to providing ongoing support to Ukraine through direct contributions to the country’s defense.
The summit, held June 24-25, was the first under Rutte’s leadership as NATO Secretary General. While the situation in the Middle East dominated discussions, it was expected that the war in Ukraine would be addressed as well.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who also attended the summit, was not invited to the closed-door meeting of NATO leaders. According to Radio Svoboda, a mini-summit for Zelenskyy will be held on June 25, involving the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Great Britain, and Rutte. Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit.
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