Rutte to Umerov: We'll continue to support Ukraine, strengthen its positions ahead of peace talks
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes further military assistance to Ukraine is necessary for strengthening its position ahead of the future peace talks.
"Clearly, what we need to achieve is for Ukraine to get in the best possible position when talks start and then to make sure that when talks end on peace in Ukraine the outcome is enduring and durable. That Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin never again try to capture one square kilometer of Ukraine in the future. So, that's really crucial," he said during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Brussels on Thursday.
The Secretary General stated that to achieve this goal, the allies and partners need to continue their military support for Ukraine.
"I already announced that over last year allies were able to scrap together over EUR 50 billion in military support for Ukraine," he said.
Minister Umerov, for his part, stated that all allies are supporting further security assistance to Ukraine.
"The United States is with us continuing security assistance. NATO is taking over our security assistance and training, so it is already in process. It is settled. We are thankful to NATO and the leadership of NATO. So, at this stage the message is that we are continuing, we're strong, we're capable, we're able, we will deliver. And we are thankful for all the countries, all the nations and leaderships for their security assistance and comprehensive assistance that they were doing. Thank you very much and hope to have a productive meeting," he said.