NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at the Brussels conference that Russia will succeed on the front line, although it will pay a high price for it. He noted that Ukraine is facing continuous bombing of civilian areas and important infrastructure. He also noted that “this may be the hardest winter in Ukraine since 2022.”
On Tuesday, a working dinner was held in the capital of Belgium within the framework of the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council with the participation of the heads of foreign ministries of the alliance countries and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sibiha.
According to Mark Rutte, the topic of the talks was the discussion of issues related to the delivery of ammunition and air defense assets to Kiev in the context of Russia intensifying its attacks and expanding the scope of the war with the help of the North. Korean soldiers and weapons. The head of NATO announced at the conference that the allies are working to fulfill the financial obligations of 40 billion euros for security assistance to Ukraine in 2024.
He added that Russia supports North Korea in its missile and nuclear programs in exchange for troops and weapons. According to Rutte, this could destabilize the Korean Peninsula and even threaten the US. – Russia's illegal war with Ukraine threatens all of us – he warned.
According to Rutte, NATO countries should not only keep Ukraine ready for war. – We must provide enough support (to Ukraine – ed.) to change the course of this conflict immediately, – said the leader of the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Mark RuttePAP/EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
Rutte about sabotage and instability of the union
A two-day meeting of foreign ministers of NATO countries began on Tuesday at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. On Wednesday, the ministers discussed the increasingly aggressive attitude of Russia, as well as the expansion of hostile actions against the countries of the alliance.
– We have noticed a sudden increase in the number of these attacks. We must bring the guilty to justice. Both Russia and China have attempted to destabilize our countries and divide our societies through acts of sabotage, cyber attacks and energy blackmail. Today, the ministers agreed on a set of proactive measures to counter Russia's hostile actions, including in the cyber sphere, Rutte said.
The NATO chief said that these efforts include increased information sharing and military exercises, better protection of critical infrastructure, effective defense of cyberspace and decisive action against Russia's fleet of oil-exporting vessels. He assured that NATO will closely cooperate with the European Union in these matters.
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Main photo source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Facebook
