NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is urging continued support for Ukraine as 2025 comes to a close, warning that Europe would face growing security risks if its resolve wavers.
To prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from attempting an attack on a NATO member, Ukraine must remain strong, Rutte said in a recent interview with dpa.
He also stressed the need for NATO members to increase defence spending, in line with commitments agreed at the alliance’s summit in The Hague in June.
“If we do those two things, we are strong enough to defend ourselves, and Putin will never try,” Rutte said, referring to a potential Russian attack on the alliance.
The former Dutch prime minister said rearmament needs to happen quickly. Depending on intelligence assessments, the security situation could otherwise become dangerous as early as 2027, he said.
Rutte pointed to Russia’s military spending as evidence of the threat posed by Putin, saying Moscow is now devoting more than 40% of its state budget to defence.
He added that the war in Ukraine had shown Putin’s willingness to accept heavy losses, citing estimates that around 1.1 million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded.