NATO Secretary General Rutte: Our response will be devastating

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a press conference ahead of the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting to be held tomorrow. Recalling that there are less than 5 months left until the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara, Rutte stated that the leaders who will meet in Turkey in July will build upon the decisions taken last year in The Hague, Netherlands.

Regarding the meeting expected to take place tomorrow, Rutte said, "I look forward to hearing from the ministers tomorrow about how these decisions are being implemented and how each one is delivering results to ensure our collective security."

Stating that issues such as defense production and investments, as well as support for Ukraine, will be discussed at the meeting, Rutte said, "I was there last week and saw the impact of Russia's relentless attacks. This includes attacks on critical infrastructure. Putin is once again trying to break the resilience of the Ukrainian people and hopes to weaken their resolve. But Ukraine and its people have shown time and again that they will not give up."

On the other hand, stating that Ukraine cannot sustain this struggle alone, Rutte noted that 99 percent of the aid sent to Ukraine is provided by NATO allies and that NATO is coordinating these efforts. Rutte announced, "Ukraine's new Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, will also join the NATO ministers tomorrow. We will discuss how allies can increase their support and how we can make it more effective."

Arctic Sentinel mission from NATO

Emphasizing that the Arctic region and the North Pole are becoming increasingly important for the alliance's collective security, Rutte said, "Due to Russia's increasing military activities and China's growing interest in the North Pole, it is important that we do more. That is why we have launched the Arctic Sentinel mission. Arctic Sentinel leverages the strength of the alliance to bring together NATO and allied activities in the North Pole under a single, comprehensive operational approach in the region."

Responding to a question requesting more detailed information about the Arctic Sentinel mission at the press conference, Rutte said, "What is new here is that for the first time, we are bringing everything we do in the Arctic under a single command. By doing this, we will not only leverage what we are doing much more effectively, as we did in the previous Eastern Sentinel and Baltic Sentinel operations, but we will also create a greater impact. At the same time, we will identify where the gaps are."

"No one should think they can attack us"

During the Q&A session of the press conference, when asked whether NATO is prepared to respond if Russia blocks the Suwalki Corridor—a narrow strip of land that is extremely critical for NATO—to establish a land connection with Kaliningrad, Rutte said, "NATO regularly conducts exercises on various scenarios. We do this in light of all relevant intelligence data, as well as concrete data regarding our deployments and capabilities. I assure you, we are ready to respond in the best possible way to any threat to our lines. No one should think they can attack us, because our response will be devastating."

He denied the claim that the US was sending a message to NATO

When asked if US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's absence from tomorrow's meeting was a message from the US to NATO, Rutte said, "No, I don't believe that at all. The American senior leadership, whether it be the White House, the Department of Defense (Pentagon), or the State Department, is as busy as ever. These individuals are working all over the world. Of course, NATO is important, but they also need to work in the Western Hemisphere. They also need to work in the Pacific. Therefore, I understand that top-level ministers cannot always be here."

When asked whether they support European countries restarting dialogue with Russia, Rutte stated, "I would encourage any initiative that could end this terrible war faster. We all know that the US administration plays a key role here. It was the US President who broke the deadlock. However, any initiative that will end this war and do so faster can be encouraged."

He was asked about his statement that Europe cannot defend itself without the US

Reminded of his comments from a few weeks ago that Europe cannot defend itself without the US, Rutte said, "I think most of us in Europe, the US, and Canada agree that staying together has immense value. Because NATO exists to protect not only Europe and Canada, but also the US. For the US to remain safe in the future, it needs a secure Arctic, a secure Europe, and a secure Atlantic. For Europe to remain safe, it of course needs close transatlantic cooperation."

"Europe is strengthening rapidly"

Expressing that as a European himself, he is proud of what Europe has done recently, Rutte said, "Europe is truly taking responsibility and strengthening rapidly. Defense investments are increasing at a dizzying pace. We will see much more of this this year and next year, as the additional investments from the Hague Summit begin to take effect."

When asked whether they had discussed the Arctic Sentinel initiative with US President Trump, Rutte stated, "As I explained to the media after our meeting in Davos, we need to understand that the President is highlighting an important point here. He is very clear about Arctic security. He is also clear about the risks of newly opened sea lanes. This means that Russia and China will be more active in the region."

Rutte added, "Furthermore, there are ongoing discussions between Denmark, Greenland, and the US. These discussions aim to ensure the long-term security of investments in Greenland and to prevent Russia and China from gaining economic access to Greenland."

"The US is fully aware of the terrible situation in Ukraine"

In response to a question asking, "Do you think the US administration fully understands the pressure on Ukraine and the devastation Ukraine is experiencing? Have you discussed this with Trump?", Rutte replied, "Yes, twice. However, I cannot disclose the details of our conversations."

Rutte said, "The US is fully aware of the terrible situation in Ukraine. We keep each other updated through regular contacts. There is absolute clarity in the US on this matter."

"A strong US presence in Europe will continue in the long term"

Regarding a question about US plans to reduce its military power in Europe, Rutte said, "This is not a new situation, and the US, as the country with the largest military power, has to deal with many regions at the same time. Europe is gradually taking on more responsibility, and this may mean that the US will focus more on the Indo-Pacific in the long term. However, a strong US presence in Europe, both in terms of nuclear deterrence and conventional forces, will continue in the long term."

"The main topic at the Ankara Summit will be the implementation of the decisions taken in The Hague"

Regarding a question about the agenda of the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara, the NATO Secretary General replied, "The main topic at the Ankara Summit will be the implementation of the decisions taken in The Hague. The increase in defense spending and the strengthening of defense industry capacity will also be among the key topics."

News Source: 12punto