NATO Secretary General Rutte: Putin is running out of money, soldiers, and ideas

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a joint press conference following the Coalition of Volunteers meeting held in London, the capital of the United Kingdom.

At the press conference, British Prime Minister Starmer said that Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but for the freedom and security of all the people of the UK and Europe. Stating that the Coalition of Volunteers is united behind Ukraine and US President Donald Trump, Starmer expressed their support for a cessation of hostilities and for negotiations to begin from the current front line. Adding that US President Trump was right to impose sanctions on Russian oil companies, Starmer pointed out that the UK and the European Union (EU) have also recently adopted similar sanctions. "What we need to do now is to keep this pressure up," Starmer said. "The only person who does not want to stop this war is Russian President Vladimir Putin," he added.

The British leader argued that Russia's recent increase in attacks targeting civilians and its rejection of peace clearly demonstrate this. "Putin has repeatedly rejected the opportunity to end the war," Starmer said, announcing that they would take steps to remove Russian oil products from the market to force Putin to the negotiating table.

"RUSSIA IS CONDUCTING A TERROR CAMPAIGN"

Zelenskyy also thanked the European leaders for their support for Ukraine. Stating that important decisions were made at the EU Leaders' Summit in Brussels yesterday and the Coalition of Volunteers meeting in London today, Zelenskyy said, "Today, all our partners confirmed that they will continue to support Ukraine in the coming year, including with critically important financial support."

Accusing Russia of using the winter season as a tool to torment the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian leader said, "Russia is conducting a terror campaign against our energy system."

"Their goals have not changed. They want to break our resistance. Everything they do is to break Ukraine's resistance," Zelenskyy said, noting that sanctions are critical to creating pressure on Russia. Adding that sanctions against Russian oil companies represent a major step, Zelenskyy thanked US President Trump and other allies who implemented these sanctions.

Stating that pressure on Russian companies and the shadow fleet must be increased, Zelenskyy said, "Peace is possible by putting pressure on the aggressor. Therefore, we must continue to take these steps."

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: PUTIN IS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY

During the press conference, NATO Secretary General Rutte said that the U.S. sanctions on Russia's largest oil companies would increase the pressure on Putin to negotiate. Noting that U.S. President Donald Trump is determined to end the war in Ukraine and establish a lasting peace, Rutte said, "Putin is making very small territorial gains on the battlefield in Ukraine. These marginal gains come at a high cost, and Putin's delusional aggression is causing the deaths of thousands of Russian citizens."

Rutte stated, "Ukraine continues to defend itself bravely, and the support we provide is working. The reality is that Putin is running out of money, soldiers, and ideas. President Trump was absolutely right. They must stop where they are now. Now is the time to increase the pressure on Russia."

"PUTIN DOES NOT WANT TO STOP THE KILLING"

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who stated at the press conference that there is no sign that Putin wants peace in Ukraine, said, "Putin does not want to stop the killing."

Frederiksen said that the leaders of the Coalition of Volunteers have agreed to increase pressure on Russia, remain committed to long-term financing, and strengthen Ukraine's defense industry. Emphasizing that the EU and the U.S. have taken significant steps with new sanction packages, Frederiksen said, "Our promise to Ukraine and all Europeans is this: we are determined to continue."

"WE MUST KEEP UKRAINE IN A POSITION TO FIGHT"

At the press conference, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof echoed the statements of other leaders, adding that support for Ukraine must be maximized and that it must be kept in a position to sustain the war against Russia. Arguing that the only way to convince Putin to negotiate is to increase economic pressure, Schoof pledged that his country, the Netherlands, would increase energy support to Ukraine during the winter months following Russia's attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen stated that the "reparations loan" intended to be supplied to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets is a good idea, but there are technical issues that need to be addressed. Frederiksen announced that the decision regarding the frozen Russian assets is expected on "Christmas Eve," which falls on December 24.

"THE DECISION RESTS WITH THE US"

When asked about Ukraine's request for Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, NATO Secretary General Rutte said that the decision on which weapons to supply rests with the allied countries. Pointing out that the US is already supplying a wide range of weapon systems to Ukraine, Rutte said, "There was a risk of a slowdown in arms supplies in July. However, Trump opened the floodgates and made it possible to provide weapons that only the US could supply."

When asked whether the EU was late in taking action against Russian oil, Frederiksen replied, "Yes, it was very late. But this does not mean that we did nothing about Russian oil during the war."