NATO Secretary General Rutte’s message on defense spending and Ukraine ahead of Ankara summit

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made statements regarding defense spending and support for Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit to be held in Ankara.

Speaking from NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte noted that the summit will take place in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rutte emphasized that following the decisions made in The Hague last year, the promises made must now be put into practice.

Regarding the allies' targets for defense spending, Rutte said, "We will need to discuss credible spending plans to ensure that all countries are on track to reach the 5 percent target."

Stating that the Ukraine issue will also be one of the important agendas of the summit, Rutte said that the necessary support must be provided for Kyiv to remain strong during the war process and to enter potential peace talks in the best possible position.

Rutte stated, "It is necessary to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to remain as strong as possible in the fight and, of course, to be in the best possible position when peace talks begin."