NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Ukraine needs reliable security guarantees, but that their discussion should remain off the record. At the same time, he expressed hope that Ukraine would be able to become a member of the Alliance “as soon as possible.” This was reported by Radio Liberty, according to UNN.
Details
At the Davos Ukrainian Breakfast, Rutte and US Special Envoy Richard Grenell demonstrated different approaches to Ukraine's membership in the Alliance.
Rutte emphasized the need for reliable but non-public security guarantees to avoid negotiations with Putin without Putin at the table, and expressed hope that Ukraine would become a NATO member “as soon as possible.
Instead, Groenel, joining via video link, criticized Rutte's position, reminding that the Netherlands' defense spending only reaches the minimum 2% of GDP.
You will face serious problems if the NATO Secretary General talks about Ukraine joining the Alliance. Americans pay for defense, and you cannot ask the American people to expand the NATO umbrella when current members are not paying their fair share. This also applies to the Netherlands, which needs to step up
In response, Mark Rutte acknowledged that NATO's current target of 2% of GDP for defense is insufficient.
He emphasized that with this level of funding, the Alliance will not be able to effectively defend itself in 4-5 years.
He noted that China produces military products six times faster than the United States, and that the entire NATO industry-from California to Ankara-produces as much ammunition in a year as Russia produces in just a few months.
And don't think that China is producing junk like it did 10-20 years ago. The ships they build are of the same quality,
He emphasized that if the new Trump administration continues to supply weapons to Ukraine, Europeans should be prepared to take financial responsibility. In his opinion, this would be fair, as the United States currently spends more on aid to Ukraine than European countries. He also emphasized that Ukraine is closer to Europe than to the United States, so Europeans should play a greater role in this support.
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the weakness of Western leaders and the mistakes of the Ukrainian authorities, emphasizing that the country's future in the Alliance depends on the US decision.