The US nuclear umbrella is the greatest protection for freedom in Europe, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at a press conference on the occasion of tomorrow's meeting of the defense ministers of the alliance countries in Brussels, BTA reported.
Rutte specified that the US is reassessing its contribution to NATO forces and this is mainly related to the distribution of responsibilities when activating defense plans. The US has clearly stated that it remains dedicated to NATO and has an expectation for a more fair sharing of responsibility, he added. Rutte noted that the US nuclear forces in Europe will not change. According to him, Washington's steps are fair and make the pact stronger. He assured that the other allies can cope with the consequences of the changes.
The Secretary General noted that at tomorrow's meeting of NATO defense ministers, progress in implementing the goal of achieving defense spending equal to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 will be discussed. I expect the allies to present plans, he said, and expressed expectation of readiness to achieve the goal ahead of schedule.
Russia is not making progress on the battlefield in Ukraine and is finding it increasingly difficult to fill the number of its military forces, Rutte pointed out. He added that in three weeks Russia has lost as many victims in this war as in the entire 10-year war in Afghanistan, and in five weeks it has lost as many fighters as the United States has lost in the 15-year war in Vietnam. We all want the war in Ukraine to end and a peace agreement to be reached, but this requires the participation of both sides, Rutte pointed out. He added that for now, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not seem ready to negotiate.