Rutte: Future of European, global security hinges on outcome of Russia's war against Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is convinced that the future of European and global security depends on the outcome of the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine
He said this on Monday in Brussels during a meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence.
"The future of European and global security hinges on the outcome of the war in Ukraine. We all want this war to end. But above all, we want a peace to last. I don't know how or when the war will end, but I do know peace will not last if Putin gets his way in Ukraine, because then he will press ahead," Rutte said.
The NATO Secretary General also believes that peace will not last long if "war ends with a deal where Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, and the regime in Tehran are high-fiving each other, feeling empowered." "A deal in Ukraine that serves their interests paves the way to global instability. So I am convinced that peace can only last if Ukraine comes to the table from a position of strength," he said.
In this regard, Rutte once again stated that Ukraine needs help for this. "More weapons and faster, so it can defend itself better and negotiate a good deal for Ukraine, for Europe, and for the world," the Alliance's Secretary General said.
He recalled that he took part in a meeting of the Ramstein Group, during which the United States and European allies announced further assistance to Ukraine. "NATO and the European Union have a lot to do together. And I can count on you, I know, as members of the European Parliament, to keep up the support for Ukraine, for their freedom and ours too," he addressed the MEPs.
Rutte also believes that if Europeans are safe today, then "in five years we are not safe." "So we have to start today. Spending more, ramping up production, getting resilience right, and supporting Ukraine," he is convinced.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm deeply concerned about the security situation in Europe. We are not at war, but we are not at peace either. The good news is that we know what to do to protect our people and way of life, now and in the long term. We just need to do it. That means we need to invest more in defense and produce more capabilities. This cannot wait. We need to boost the resilience of our societies and critical infrastructure. And we need to sustain and step up our support for Ukraine to change the trajectory of the war and deter further Russian aggression in the future. On all of this, defense, resilience, Ukraine, NATO, and the EU must work hand in hand," Rutte said.