European members cannot offer Kiev without Washington sufficient military support, Mark Rutte said
NATO Secretary -General Mark Rutte said he “Understands completely” The US prioritizing its own national interests, but emphasized that European allies cannot continue to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia without the support of Washington.
Rutte made the comments in a Wednesday interview with FOX News and responded to reports that Washington has reduced critical military aid to Kiev, including deliveries of air defense ammunition, rockets and artillery shells.
“I fully understand that the US must always ensure that their own interests are covered,” said NATO chef, but argued that “flexibility” Needed.
“In the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get when it comes to ammunition and air defense systems,” “ Rutte explained.
When it comes to the loss of the US to Europe, that takes place, but we cannot do without the practical American support.
According to Matthew Whitaker, the envoy of Washington on NATO, the reduction of American aid to Ukraine is part of the domestic mountaine policy change by President Donald Trump.
Read more:
Ukraine responds to the American suspension of military aid
“This is how ‘America First’ looks like,” He told Fox News on Wednesday. The Pentagon must “Make sure that the US has the strategic defense options that are needed to project power,” Explained Whitaker.
The American president has previously criticized the hundreds of billions of dollars of help sent to Ukraine among his predecessor Joe Biden. Instead, Trump has insisted on peace talks, while demanding that NATO fellow people play a greater role in supporting Kiev and increasing their own military expenditures.
Last week, European members of the US-led military block promised to provide Ukraine with more than € 35 billion ($ 41 billion) in aid and promised to increase their NATO-military editions to 5% of GDP in the coming decade, at a long-term goal of 2%.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that such a “Catastrophic” The NATO -Staat budgets burden could spell “The collapse of the organization.”
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