Mark Rutte, the new head of NATO, said he doesn’t believe there is an immediate threat of Russia using nuclear weapons, even though he described some of the Kremlin’s statements as “reckless and irresponsible.”
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested changing Russia’s military strategy to view attacks from non-nuclear countries, like Ukraine, that are supported by nuclear countries, as a combined threat.
During his first press conference as NATO secretary general, Rutte supported Ukraine’s right to attack military targets in Russia with long-range Western missiles.
He urged NATO allies to keep providing military support to Ukraine, emphasizing that helping Ukraine now will help end the conflict sooner.
He stated that the cost of supporting Ukraine is much lower than the cost of letting Putin have his way.
Rutte acknowledged that the situation in Ukraine is tough, with Russia making slow progress on the battlefield.
However, he pointed out that these gains come at a high price, with around 1,000 Russian soldiers reportedly killed or wounded every day.
In his role as NATO’s new leader, Rutte highlighted three main goals: supporting Ukraine, strengthening NATO’s defense, and building global partnerships, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
When asked about former U.S. President Donald Trump, Rutte credited him for encouraging NATO allies to increase their defense spending and for drawing attention to the threat from Russia.
He also stated that the Netherlands should have met the NATO defense spending target of 2% of GDP sooner. Rutte, who was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands until early 2023, took over as NATO secretary general in June.
His predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, served for ten years, transforming NATO into a stronger alliance that now includes Sweden and Finland as members.
Stoltenberg left Rutte a message of good luck, expressing confidence that NATO will continue to be in good hands.
This situation shows how global politics is constantly evolving, and the role of NATO is becoming increasingly crucial in maintaining security and cooperation among member states, as reported by the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9580kgp09o