NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised their continued support for Ukraine during a joint statement from NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.
“We must do more to ensure Ukraine can continue to fight” and prevent Putin from succeeding, Rutte said.
He also referenced North Korea, which is aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine, highlighting that its forces “pose an additional threat to Ukraine and will increase Putin’s ability to cause harm.” The NATO Secretary General added that it’s not just North Korea taking action, but also Beijing.
“China has been helping the Russian war effort through the circumvention of certain sanctions and the provision of dual-use goods,” he noted, adding that “Iran is doing this as well through drone technology and various supplies to Russia.” Rutte further emphasised the need to increase defence production, focusing on expanding defence spending.
Blinken reiterated the US’s ongoing support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, also mentioning the role of North Korea, which, according to him, calls for and will receive “specific responses.”
The US Secretary of State added that one of NATO’s recent achievements has been enhancing its collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners, pledging that more will be done in the coming weeks and months.
On defence spending, he noted that 23 Allies have now met the target of spending 2% of their GDP on defence. “However, we want to ensure that these expenditures are focused where they need to be,” he underscored.
Finally, Blinken affirmed that President Joe Biden would continue to “use every day” to bolster the Alliance, maintaining a steady course over the past four years.
Source: ANA-MPA
