Supporting Ukraine costs less than fighting off Russia - Rutte

The incoming NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, stated the need to continue supporting Ukraine because the investment in this effort remains much smaller than that required to directly fight against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Rutte spoke at his first press conference in his new capacity in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I have travelled to Ukraine several times in recent years. To Odesa, Kyiv, Bucha, Borodianka, and Kharkiv, close to the Russian border where I witnessed first-hand the brutality of Russia’s war of aggression, and the bravery of Ukraine’s people in their fight for freedom," he said.

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According to Rutte, supporting Ukraine is “the right thing to do, and it is also an investment in our own security because an independent and democratic Ukraine is vital for peace and stability in Europe”.

"And the cost of supporting Ukraine is far, far lower than the cost we would face if we allow Putin to get his way," he emphasized.

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As Ukrinform reported earlier, Mark Rutte recalled that only NATO member states that have transferred long-range weapons to Ukraine can grant its Army permission to use those weapons against legitimate targets on the territory of the aggressor state.

Photo: AA