NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday anticipated the announcement of new initiatives by member states to participate in the U.S.-funded program, supported by allies, to provide military aid to Ukraine, which was launched last August.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking ahead of the defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Rutte said the program involves military support funded by member states, with €2 billion already committed, and he expects new countries to join during the meetings.
Rutte told journalists that the day would be important for discussing ways to strengthen NATO’s defense capabilities and expand support for Ukraine. He described the Hague summit as “highly successful,” noting that it agreed to raise defense spending to 5%, including 3.5% for core defense and 1.5% for related defense issues.
He added that the summit also addressed increasing defense industrial production to ensure Ukraine remains strong against Russian aggression. The Brussels meeting would also discuss developing NATO capabilities to counter new threats, such as drone attacks.
Rutte said, “Today, we will hold a NATO–Ukraine Council meeting over lunch with Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and later we will meet within the Ukraine Defense Contact Group chaired by the defense ministers of Germany and the U.K., Boris Pistorius and John Hely, to explore ways to further increase military support to Ukraine.”
He explained that the new program, launched last August, “provides essential U.S. military support—both lethal and non-lethal—to Ukraine, funded by allies,” emphasizing that this support includes air defense systems and interceptor missiles necessary to protect civilians and critical infrastructure in Ukraine from “ongoing Russian attacks.”
Rutte added, “We have every reason to believe that many other countries will join the program today. This is extremely important for the safety of Ukrainian civilians,” stressing that NATO “is doing everything possible to ensure Ukraine remains strong in the fight.”
In joint remarks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Secretary General said the Hague summit “brought tangible results,” noting that “more funds are on the table today, and real firepower is coming from our defense industries,” praising U.S. efforts to strengthen NATO’s capabilities.
Rutte said, “I would like to thank President Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth personally, along with their entire team, for their leadership. NATO today is stronger, more effective, and fairer. Since President Eisenhower’s era, there was a constant complaint that the United States bore the largest share within the alliance. Thanks to your leadership, the Hague summit made a historic decision to equalize defense spending in Europe and Canada with that of the United States, which is a major achievement.”
He added that the alliance is “making significant progress on all fronts,” again expressing gratitude for U.S. leadership in ensuring Ukraine receives the support it needs, funded by allies.
Rutte concluded, “Today we will continue discussing all these issues and look forward to our press conference later to review the progress made.”
Al-Mamlaka
