NATO Secretary General Rutte: 'Let's not take the Russians too seriously'

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a press conference following the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Rutte stated that the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting addressed current threats to security and the capacity and determination to deal with them.

Emphasizing that the unmanned aerial vehicles and fighter jets that violated NATO airspace last month have created momentum toward improving NATO's deterrence and defense posture, Rutte said, "At the initiative of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, we have increased our surveillance in the Baltic Sea region and strengthened our defense posture. The Eastern Sentry initiative we recently launched has also given us strength and flexibility on the eastern flank."

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE THREAT

Stating that they also discussed capacity building and defense investments today to fulfill the commitments made at the Hague Summit, Rutte said, "We also discussed how we can more effectively deal with new threats, especially the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a result, NATO will implement a series of new measures that will strengthen, expand, and accelerate our capability against UAVs."

Rutte said, "We are currently testing integrated systems for detecting, tracking, and neutralizing air threats in the context of Eastern Sentry. Innovation and adaptation are in the genes of this alliance. In this direction, we will continue and develop our cooperation with Ukraine. We will accelerate our own innovation processes. We will deepen cooperation with the private sector and we will do more."

Emphasizing that NATO is a defensive alliance and will remain so, Rutte said, "But rest assured, this defensive alliance is ready and determined to do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of our one billion people and the protection of our territory."

Stating that the defense ministers of NATO member countries confirmed that defense investments are increasing, production is strengthening, and support for Ukraine is rising, Rutte said, "Our military force has the tools and authorities necessary to carry out its mission. We do not engage in retaliatory-style actions, but we are taking the necessary steps to defend and protect our own rights, increasing the costs for those who might want to test us, and clearly showing that our determination against any potential adversary is unwavering."

"OUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE WILL CONTINUE UNINTERRUPTED"

Stating that their support for Ukraine will continue and that Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal attended the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting today, Rutte said, "Likewise, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas joined us. This afternoon, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting will also be held."

Rutte said, "Russia continues to attack Ukraine every day and night, targeting its people, civilian infrastructure, and especially energy grids. As winter approaches, it is depriving people of heat, light, and water. Therefore, our support for Ukraine is vital and will continue uninterrupted."

"EU AND NATO COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER"

Regarding a question at the press conference about the connection between the European Union's "UAV wall" initiative and NATO's measures on the eastern flank, Rutte said, "This issue is often misunderstood. There is never any duplication here. NATO and the EU are working hand in hand, extremely closely. Each side is aware of its own strengths. In short, there is no conflict, there is complementarity."

Regarding a question about whether the security threats posed by UAVs are more of an internal security issue and what kind of cooperation NATO envisions with allies in this regard, Rutte said, "NATO's role is to bring the overall effort under an umbrella structure and to ensure coordination in areas such as innovation, scaling, procurement, and the acceleration of processes."

Stating that debates such as whether a UAV came from across the border or appeared in the country's own airspace can take a long time, Rutte said, "We are already having these discussions, and frankly, we are learning a lot from the Ukrainians. Of course, we will not disclose everything we know and all the decisions we will make. But you can be sure that all these issues are part of the discussion and coordination within NATO."

On the question of what kind of air defense systems could be provided to Ukraine, Rutte said, "In the last three and a half years, many air defense systems have been delivered to Ukraine from both the US and Europe. What we have done so far is to determine what Ukraine needs to remain strong in the war. Some of these needs, such as interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, can only be provided by the US. That is why the PURL (Priority Ukraine Requirements List) initiative was created."

Emphasizing that American weapons, whose financing is provided by allies, can be supplied to Ukraine within the scope of PURL, Rutte said, "Initially, six allies participated in this program. The Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Today, I can say that more than half of the 32 NATO allies, that is, more than 16 countries, are participating in this initiative. This secures the flow of vital support to Ukraine."

When asked whether security measures against UAVs would also provide protection to countries not on the eastern flank, Rutte replied, "Yes, NATO's air policing system is still active. However, now with the Eastern Sentry initiative, we have the goal of strengthening our defense across the entire eastern flank. This is a structure that increases our deterrence against any violation."

Rutte said, "We are also learning very important lessons from Ukraine. Ukraine is arguably the number one country in UAV and anti-drone technology. They also provided support regarding the incidents in Denmark two weeks ago."

"LET'S NOT TAKE THE RUSSIANS TOO SERIOUSLY"

Regarding a question on how NATO can be sure of its deterrence against Russia's hybrid attacks, Rutte said, "First of all, it is necessary to acknowledge that we are 25 times larger than Russia. While the NATO economy is generally around 50 trillion dollars, Russia's is 2 trillion dollars. So Russia is even behind the state of Texas. It is not larger than the combined economies of the Netherlands and Belgium. Of course, there is nuclear capacity involved, and that is why it would not be right to compare it with the Netherlands and Belgium. But still, let's not exaggerate what Russia can do."

Rutte said, "The Russians' fighter jet pilots are not exactly famous for their skills in maneuvering those planes, and their ship captains, if we consider what they do on the seabed, don't know how to drop anchor."

Emphasizing that it is generally difficult to assess whether airspace violations are intentional, Rutte said, "Although it is debatable whether what happened in Poland and the Mig-31 incidents in Estonia were intentional, they were reckless and unacceptable in any case."

Rutte said, "NATO reacted as it should. Why? Because we have been doing this for 70-80 years. Since the Soviet era, and in the Russian era, in the Yeltsin era, in the Putin era, in the pre-2010 Putin era, and later after he radicalized, it has been like this. We are trained and prepared for this."

Stating that NATO will not shoot down an aircraft that does not pose a threat in its airspace, Rutte said, "But if it poses a threat, I can assure you that our military personnel have all the authorities they need to ensure that that aircraft is no longer a threat. I think this is important, and the Russians know it too. Let's trust our soldiers. They have the best equipment and are very well trained. We have been doing this for 50-60-70 years and we know how to deal with this issue. Let's not take the Russians too seriously."

Stating that the question of why so much is being spent on defense in this case would arise, Rutte said, "Because if a dictator is willing to sacrifice a million people in Ukraine, and while doing so, only gains a very small amount of territory in the Donbass this year, not even reaching one percent or around half a point, you need to be well prepared if such a person moves against NATO."

Rutte said, "I don't know if this will happen, but if it does, we are prepared. That is why we are doing this work. Also, he is spending 40 percent of the state budget on defense. We are taking this issue seriously."

In response to a question about NATO's cooperation with Australia, Rutte emphasized that the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions cannot be seen as two separate stages, saying, "These regions are interconnected. North Korea and China are supporting Russia's war efforts, and Iran is also supporting Russia's war in the same way. We cannot be naive about this."

Rutte said, "If China makes any move against Taiwan, Putin will most likely be forced to make a move against NATO under pressure from (Chinese President) Xi Jinping. That is why we must be prepared."

"WE WOULD NEVER HAVE REACHED THIS RESULT WITHOUT TRUMP"

Regarding a question about US President Donald Trump's criticisms of Spain, Rutte replied, "President Trump played an extremely important role in the success of the NATO Summit. Without his leadership, the 5 percent defense spending target would never have reached this point. If anyone thinks we could have reached this result without Trump, that would be extreme naivety in my opinion."

Stating that all 32 member countries approved NATO's goals with full consensus at the Hague Summit, Rutte also said that Spain joined these capability goals.