Strong defense of Allies and assistance to Ukraine crucial for NATO's security - Rutte

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated this at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Germany makes a major contribution to our shared security.... Germany now invests as you said 2 percent of its GDP in defence – for the first time in three decades... And it sends a strong signal to Moscow that we stand united to defend our democratic values and the rules-based international order. As a former Prime Minister, I know that it is not always easy for governments to allocate funds for national defence and for aid to Ukraine. But both are crucial for our collective security,” the NATO chief said.

He noted that during a meeting with the German Chancellor on Monday, they discussed continued support for Ukraine. Germany is the biggest European contributor of military aid, and this support saves lives on the battlefield every day, Rutte said.

In addition, Germany hosts, in Wiesbaden, NATO’s new Command for security assistance and training to Ukraine (NSATU). The NATO Command for Ukraine is integral to the wider NATO Washington Summit package for Ukraine, which also includes the pledge of long-term security assistance, and support for Ukraine on “its irreversible path to Euro-Atlantic integration”, said Rutte.

“If Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there. Russia is conducting already an intensifying campaign of hybrid attacks across our Allied territories – interfering directly in our democracies, sabotaging industry and committing violence. All of this to weaken us and to sow divisions. This shows that the shifting frontline in this war is no longer solely within Ukraine. Increasingly, the frontline is moving beyond borders – to the Baltic region, to Western Europe and even to the High North. But NATO stands ready to deter and defend against these threats,” the NATO Secretary General said.

He recalled that allies are investing in capabilities across all domains – land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. They are also working with industry to ramp up production and to accelerate innovation. The defence industry in Germany is crucial to the security of Europe and the defence of Ukraine.

The NATO chief cited the following example: German and American partner companies are currently fulfilling an order for the production of 1,000 Patriot air defense missiles in a new factory in Bavaria. This is the transatlantic defence industry at work providing capabilities and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has just inaugurated the first factory in Ukraine, with a second facility nearing completion soon. And Rheinmetall has significantly increased ammunition production since 2022. We must keep up the momentum to keep our 1 billion people safe. So we are stepping up support to Ukraine. And we are working more closely with the European Union and other like-minded partners around the globe,” Rutte noted.

As reported by Ukrinform, Germany is the second largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, after the United States. At the same time, the country remains the largest European supplier of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.

On November 4, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv to discuss the development of such assistance and bilateral cooperation between Germany and Ukraine.