It is not my job to give advice to the allies, but each of them can do what France is doing, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte today at a press conference on the eve of tomorrow's meeting of the alliance's defense ministers in Brussels. Thus he answered a question related to the steps to resume the dialogue between Paris and Moscow, writes BTA.
According to him, France is coordinating its actions with the United States and other allies. I would encourage any initiative to accelerate the end of the war in Ukraine, Rutte added. Let's hope that there will be a peace agreement or a lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, he added.
Asked about the fact that the US will not be represented by a minister at tomorrow's meeting for the second time in recent months, Rutte said he fully accepts this fact. It is not always possible for ministers to participate in the meetings, he said. The US maintains a strong presence in Europe, nuclear and conventional, the alliance's secretary general noted.
He summarized that tomorrow NATO military ministers will discuss continuing support for Ukraine and increasing military production and defense spending. According to him, 99 percent of military support for Kiev is provided by the alliance countries and their partners. Tomorrow we will discuss how the decisions to gradually increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product in the coming years are being implemented, Rutte added.