NATO Secretary General Rutte: Victory is now a distant dream for Putin

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke at a joint press conference held in Berlin, Germany, following the 34th Ministerial Meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was also attended by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, British Defense Secretary John Healey, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Emphasizing that Ukraine should not be ignored despite the many urgent security issues the world is facing, Rutte said, "There is no pause in Russia's war of aggression. Russia continues its brutal attacks day and night. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to push the Russians back, and the Ukrainian people continue their resistance."

At the press conference held after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, where representatives from 43 countries participated and new military aid for Ukraine was announced, Rutte said, "The flow of vital military equipment from NATO allies to Ukraine continues. This includes the 'Priority Urgent Requirements List' (PURL) initiative, which is funded by allies and partner countries and delivers vital American firepower to the country. The flow under PURL is ongoing. I welcome the additional support commitments announced during the meeting. For example, we heard about new missiles for Patriot air defense systems from Germany, 120 thousand drones from the UK, and additional financing commitments from the Netherlands for more drones and the Czech ammunition support initiative."

"Victory is now a distant dream for Putin"

Rutte said, "Russia is struggling on the ground. Victory is now a distant dream for Putin. We have even seen in some media reports that he has realized his economy is in bad shape, which we already knew. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are inflicting heavy losses on the Russian war machine every day, and the numbers are truly striking."

The NATO Secretary General stated, "A strong Ukraine today and a strong Ukraine in the future are the keys to how Russian aggression can be stopped. Therefore, more effort must be made, and we must continue to provide the critical support that Ukraine needs. Because Ukraine's security is our security."

Drawing attention to the experience Ukraine has gained in combating drone and missile threats, Rutte said, "I welcome the agreements made with some Gulf countries that have been subjected to indiscriminate attacks by Iran. Defense cooperation and production agreements show that Ukraine is increasingly turning into a security exporter."

"A limited number of countries are carrying most of the burden"

When asked at the press conference how optimistic he was about providing up to 15 billion dollars in funding for PURL by the end of the year, Rutte replied, "Yes, I am optimistic that we can finance the flow of vital military support for Ukraine, including air defense, from the US. Yes, I am optimistic. I think we can do better on burden-sharing. Currently, a limited number of countries are carrying most of the burden, but we are seeing a positive shift in this regard. So yes, I am optimistic."

In response to a question about the possibility of the US keeping certain types of weapons in its own stocks and delaying their supply to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Rutte said, "The good news is that the flow is continuing and there is a broad understanding on both sides of the Atlantic that we need to address the process end-to-end."

Rutte added, "We need to make sure we are replenishing all our stocks. Because this is not just a problem for the US, but also for Europe. We need to increase defense industrial production."

Pistorius: "Supporting Ukraine is more important than ever"

German Defense Minister Pistorius said in his remarks that support for Ukraine should not be cut off. Calling for continued support for Ukraine despite developments in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz, Pistorius said, "One thing is certain: Russia is benefiting from developments in the Middle East and the rise in oil prices, and it is making a profit. At least for now, it is using this money to finance the war in Ukraine. Russia-Ukraine peace talks are currently suspended, but the truth is that Russia never took these talks seriously. Therefore, supporting Ukraine is more important than ever."

Noting that strengthening Ukraine's defense remains Germany's top priority, Pistorius said, "The 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine will be provided within two years after the elections in Hungary. This will give Ukraine the opportunity to sustainably procure military equipment and will also enable Ukraine to rebuild the infrastructure that Russia has destroyed. Ukraine can continue to rely on us."

"We are facing a challenge regarding industrial production capacities"

In response to a question about Europe ensuring its own defense, Pistorius replied, "What we can do to strengthen our defense is to act within NATO and, of course, to benefit from the experiences we have gained from the conflicts in Ukraine. At the same time, it is no secret that we are facing a challenge regarding sufficiently large industrial production capacities when it comes to defense, both in the US and here. However, we are also trying to create the conditions that will allow production capacities to be activated through larger framework contracts and to increase the speed for the necessary production."