Mark Rutte: 'The US is Absolutely Committed to NATO'

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that he is not concerned about the US stance towards NATO members and that the alliance is focused on ending the war in Ukraine.

Rutte expressed his satisfaction with the discussions in Brussels during the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting, which focused on strengthening deterrence and defense, as well as supporting Ukraine.

He reiterated his satisfaction with the increase in defense spending by members, emphasizing that the implementation of decisions made in The Hague shows 'a real change of mentality, a unity of vision, a much stronger European defense within NATO'.

He stated that increased demand must be accompanied by increased supply, stressing the need for 'quantity, quality and speed', through strengthening industries and increasing production on both sides of the Atlantic.

Regarding disagreements within the Alliance, he said: 'There will always be discussions and disagreements within NATO... I'm not worried about it'.

Regarding Ukraine, Rutte emphasized that the country 'is leading the technological revolution' and expressed NATO's support for the Ukrainian people.

Regarding the absence of the US Secretary of Defense, Rutte stressed the importance of the participation of Deputy Secretary Elbridge Colby, noting that 'what you see today is a NATO in which the US is absolutely committed'.

Finally, regarding talks with Russia, Rutte stated that he considers 'it absolutely legitimate to have this discussion, provided that the Europeans are fully transparent about their initiatives'.