NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Russia had failed to achieve the expected progress in Ukraine, and that now is “the time” to increase pressure on Moscow.
The Secretary General spoke at a press conference after the meeting of the Coalition of Volunteers, which took place in London.
Noting the productivity of the meeting, Rutte said: “We are pleased with the initiative allies to further strengthen our support for Ukraine.”
The Secretary General also stressed that his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington this week was productive: “The sanctions imposed by the US on Russia’s largest oil companies will deprive them of income and significantly increase pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to come to the negotiating table. Sanctions still times demonstrate that President Trump is absolutely determined to end this war and bring lasting peace to Ukraine.”
Mark Rutte further noted: “Putin is making very little progress on the battlefield in Ukraine, and his successes have been marginal. These successes come at a very high cost. Putin is running out of money, soldiers and ideas, now is the time to increase the pressure on Russia.”
The NATO head stressed that the support provided to Ukraine by allies is producing results: “We must combine this support with sanctions and economic pressure.”
The United States is considering the possibility of supplying Tomahawk missiles
As for the weapons that will be provided to Ukraine, he repeated that each ally must make its own decision about what weapons it will supply, and noted that Ukraine has the right to strike targets in Russia with long-range weapons.
Regarding Ukraine’s request for the supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, the Secretary General said: “The President (Trump) said that the issue continues to be reviewed and that the decision depends on the United States.”