"The message to Moscow is clear" - Rutte makes a new statement on NATO's support for Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Rutte said that Russia had not broken NATO's unity, despite sabotage and drones. The Alliance is strengthening its defence and support for Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on allies to remain calm and continue supporting Ukraine. He noted that Russia has failed to undermine the alliance’s resolve and halt its support for Ukraine, despite the growing number of acts of sabotage and drone incidents targeting NATO. Rutte said this at a press conference on September 29, UNN reports.
Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostile actions against NATO allies. It is trying to weaken our resolve and halt our support for Ukraine. But Russia is failing. It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine, and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine. Our message to Moscow is clear. We will do more for Ukraine, not less
He noted that "repeated drone incidents on our eastern flank have demonstrated the evolving threat, and we are strengthening our integrated air and missile defense".
"We are adapting and strengthening our posture against drones," the NATO Secretary General said.
Speaking about hybrid attacks, Rutte acknowledged that they "have an impact," but, in his words, NATO has "all options for responding: sometimes visible, sometimes not."
"I am not saying that these malicious actions in the gray zone do not have an impact. They can have an impact, and sometimes they have an obvious impact. What I mean is that we have all options for responding. Sometimes visible, sometimes not, not always public, not always 'tit for tat'," Rutte said.
At the same time, he called on the allies: "Continue strengthening NATO."
"And finally, (...) continue supporting Ukraine, because the best response to any actions in the gray zone of what Russia is doing is more support for Ukraine, not less. Because ultimately, they want to divide us so that we lose focus on Ukraine and start discussing among ourselves what is happening, why, and how it all fits together," the NATO Secretary General stressed.
Remain calm, continue and support Ukraine, support it more, not less, just as we are doing, also thanks to the European Union and the loan to support Ukraine
He also announced "excellent news": "We have reached the threshold of 10 billion when it comes to PURL funds. This is vital for the items supplied from the United States to Ukraine and financed by Canada and European allies, including the European Union, which plays a major role here."
"So all of this is extremely important. We (...) must not be naive about Russia. But they know that we are stronger, and we must ensure, by continuing our investments, that we will also be stronger in two, three, and five years. And that is exactly what we are doing," the Secretary General said.