Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in peace, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said today at a press conference before the start of the two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the alliance in Brussels.
Putin is pushing to try to seize more territory in Ukraine because he believes he can break her will and our resolve, but he is wrong, Rutte added. According to him, the front in Ukraine is moving slowly in a western direction, although at the cost of great casualties on the Russian side. Rutte pointed out that Russian casualties (killed and wounded) have already reached 700 thousand since the beginning of the war.
The important thing is to make it so that the Ukrainians can talk with the Russian side from the position of strength, he added in response to a question about whether Ukraine can be expected to receive an invitation to join the alliance soon. More military support is needed, we are obliged to help the Ukrainians, and they themselves will decide when to start negotiations, the Secretary General pointed out.
Rute condemned the launch of a Russian experimental missile against Ukraine. It will not change the course of the war, nor will it stop allies from helping Ukraine, he said.
The Secretary General announced that a working dinner of the NATO & Ukraine Council is scheduled for today, which will be attended by the new EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Kaya Kalas. Tomorrow we will talk about Russian hostilities in NATO countries. Russia and China are trying to destabilize us with acts of sabotage, cyber attacks and energy blackmail. None of this will distract us from supporting Ukraine. We will remain united against these threats, concluded Rutte.
He condemned the violence in Georgia and called on the government in Tbilisi to make every effort to ensure peace and security. According to him, the Georgian authorities should not take actions that undermine democracy and move the country away from the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.