Rutte: Victory remains distant dream for Putin
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russia's victory in Ukraine remained a distant dream for Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at a press conference after the 34th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format in Berlin, Rutte said Russia was fighting for victory on the battlefield, but that victory remained a distant dream for Putin. He added that there had even been media reports suggesting Putin understood that Russia's economy was in bad shape.
Rutte said it was very important that everyone at the meeting had reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine. He also welcomed the further support announced during the Ramstein meeting.
He said that allies needed to dig deep and continue providing the decisive support Ukraine needed, because Ukraine's security was their security. He added that Ukraine's experience in countering drone and missile threats was helping save lives beyond its borders.
Rutte also said that agreements on cooperation and production in the defense sector show how Ukraine is becoming an exporter of security.