In a compelling statement, Mark Rutte highlighted the urgent need to bolster support for Ukraine, advocating for a shift in the conflict's trajectory to counteract the current unfavorable movement of the front lines.
"First of all, we must increase, not decrease, our support for Ukraine," he said.
"We need to change the trajectory of the conflict because the way the front line is moving right now is wrong—it needs to be changed."
According to Rutte, this is necessary primarily for Ukraine itself, as the world "cannot allow" one country to invade another and attempt to colonize it in the 21st century.
Secondly, because China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia are working together, and with a "bad deal," Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will "high-five" the leaders of North Korea, Iran, and China.
Additionally, Rutte warned that if Ukraine loses the war, NATO members will face "trillions" in extra costs to strengthen their armed forces — an expense far greater than the current level of support.
He also emphasized the need for NATO to enhance its capabilities and fill existing gaps within the Alliance, arguing that increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP is insufficient.
"In times of war, we don’t have the luxury of falling behind: we need to have more, produce faster, at different scales, and at lower costs," the NATO chief stressed.
"We are not procuring enough, we are not producing enough, and we are not working properly with industry."
Rutte stated that the Alliance has to increase defense spending, ramp up production, and cooperate with the United States to ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.
"I continue to tell Europeans: provide Ukraine with defense equipment, weapons, and ammunition, because if we want to achieve our goals, we must take action ourselves," Rutte added.
"And here, Trump is right — the causes of this conflict are unjust, but we must do more together, both in Europe and in the U.S."
On Dec. 17, 2024, Reuters, citing sources, reported that NATO had taken over coordination of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
A source also mentioned that NATO’s new mission to support Ukraine (NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, NSATU) has already begun operations.
On Dec. 6, Donald Trump stated that Ukraine might receive less military aid if he returns to the White House.