PARIS: NATO chief Mark Rutte on Tuesday called on Western countries to ramp up support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, saying Kyiv required more than just being kept “in the fight”.
“We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight,” Rutte told reporters ahead of talks in Paris with French leader Emmanuel Macron.
“We need to raise the cost for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his enabling and authoritarian friends by providing Ukraine with the support it needs to change the trajectory of the conflict.
“We will discuss the importance of keeping up support as Ukrainians prepare to face what could be their harshest winter since 2022… We must recommit to staying the course, for the long haul.”
Rutte did not explicitly refer to the election Donald Trump’s election as US president, who some fear will move to scale down American support for Ukraine.
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But he added: “We must stand together – Europe, North America and our global partners… We have to keep our trans-atlantic alliance strong.”
Rutte, meanwhile, expressed concern at the support Iran, North Korea and China were giving Russia in its war against Ukraine.
“After delivering ammunition and ballistic missiles, North Korea has now sent troops to fight and die alongside Russia in its illegal war,” Rutte said.
Iran designed and supplied drones that attack Ukraine while “China backs Russia’s economy, enables its defence ministry and amplifies its narrative on the world stage,” he said.
“Russia, working together with North Korea, Iran and China, is not only threatening Europe, it threatens peace and security. Yes, here in Europe, but also in the Indo-Pacific and North America.”
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