“Russia’s brutal attacks against Ukraine are not weakening. Russia is suffering huge losses – it is now estimated that more than 40,000 people are killed or seriously injured every month. Think about that for a moment. More than 40,000 every month…,” said the Alliance leader.
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According to him, despite these heavy losses, Kremlin host Vladimir Putin shows no desire to end the war.
“On the contrary, Russia constantly attacks Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, often targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, while at the same time the list of malicious Russian hybrid actions across Europe only grows longer: cyberattacks, sabotage, arson, airspace violations, drone incidents,” M. Rutte stated.
Sign of weakness
As noted by the NATO Secretary General, Russia’s reckless actions are a “sign of weakness” and “a symptom that it is failing to achieve its goals in Ukraine.”
He said the latest hostile Russian actions are “reckless, dangerous and life-threatening.”
“But we are not afraid. We know this is the tactic of a desperate regime failing to achieve its goals in Ukraine. Putin thinks he can divide us, destabilize us and weaken our support for Ukraine. But he will not succeed. These malicious actions have the opposite effect,” the NATO leader said.
Europeans in NATO “increasingly understand that taking greater responsibility for their own security is not a choice,” M. Rutte believes.
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“Previously, the belief prevailed that we could continue to do more with less, and the United States would continue to do the hardest work for us,” but as he noted, this has changed over the past few years.
“I see a real change in mindset. Europeans increasingly understand that taking greater responsibility for their own security is not a choice. That rebuilding our armed forces is truly necessary. Strengthening our defense industrial base benefits not only our security but also our economies. And that security is not something the US should do for us, but together with us,” M. Rutte explained.
He believes that “we cannot be naive” about the long-term threat Russia poses to Europe, as its entire economy is focused on defense and preparing for war.
“I know there will always be people who say: ‘Oh, if only you sat down with Putin and this and that…’ This is a long-term issue. It is a threat. We cannot be naive,” the Secretary General emphasized.
Speaking with Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, M. Rutte highlighted the Alliance’s united response after the incident in Leipzig.
“This is how NATO works: all for one, and one for all. Russia wants to defeat us, but we are united. Russia wants to prevent us from helping Ukraine, but we will do even more for Ukraine,” he said.
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