The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will be very important for the whole world. The members of the bloc are determined to fulfill specific obligations, and this is what the head of the Kremlin Vladimir Putin is very afraid of. This statement was made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, reports Atlantic Council, quoted by Focus.
The Secretary General recalled that in 2025, the members of the bloc agreed on 5% of GDP for defense spending. In addition, a significant increase in support for Ukraine was agreed.
According to Rutte, last year NATO already spent 20% more on defense than expected. He noted that this is a really clear signal to Putin.
''This summer is about delivering on commitments, a credible course, and the fact that last year we spent almost 20% more is already proof that this is happening, and now we need to make sure that we have a credible path to 5%. And I see that this is absolutely happening, especially when it comes to defense, Rutte noted.
''The most important thing is for Moscow to understand: ''Hey, we can fight you today and we will make sure that if you make some stupid move against us, we are ready to defend ourselves'', Rutte emphasized.
He also said that the summit in The Hague was a great success because the countries were able to make commitments.
''But it is important to fulfill our commitments and I see this happening in Ankara - this is even more important. Because ultimately Putin is not afraid of commitments, he is afraid to fulfill them, and that is what we are doing. Vladimir, we will defend ourselves, Rutte said to the Russian president.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine would be represented at the NATO summit by a delegation that he would lead.