NATO Secretary General Mark Ruttewarned this Monday that peace in Ukraine will not last without an agreement to end the war It is liked by Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, and warned that a pact that satisfies the interests of those countries “paves the way to global instability.”
“Peace will not last if the war ends with an agreement in which Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un and the regime Tehran They are high-fiving each other, feeling empowered. A deal in Ukraine that serves its interests paves the way for global instability“he declared.
Rutte expressed himself in this sense during an appearance before the Foreign Affairs committee and the Security and Defense subcommittee of the European Parliament.
Likewise, Rutte said he was convinced that peace “can only last if Ukraine comes to the negotiating table from a position of strength“and that for this kyiv needs “continued help” from allies“more weapons and faster so that it can defend itself better and negotiate a good deal for Ukraine, Europe and the world.” “NATO allies are providing more and EU support remains crucial,” he said.
He recalled that last week at the meeting of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine held in Germany “the United States and European allies announced more aid to Ukraine,” and considered that these additional contributions “are vital.”
“The future of European and global security depends on the outcome of the war in Ukraine. “We all want this war to end, but above all, we want a peace that lasts,” he stressed.
Defense Investment
On the other hand, Rutte advocated that the European allies invest in defense “a small fraction” of what they dedicate to pensions, Health or social security, in order to guarantee the security of future generations.
“On average, European countries easily spend up to a quarter of initial income on pensions, health and social security systems, and we only need a small fraction of that money to strengthen defense much more,” he said..
Rutte, who spoke before MEPs for the first time since taking office on October 1, asked them to ensure “that we all invest more in Defense.” ““It is an investment in our safety and in the safety of our children and grandchildren.”he stressed.
At the same time, he urged to also “rapidly increase production of crucial assets and capabilities” such as ships, tanks, aircraft, munitions, satellites and drones.
“The reality is that we are not where we need to be, not yet. Our industry is still too small, is too fragmented and, to be honest, it is too slow,” commented the former Dutch prime minister.
He acknowledged in any case that the European Union (EU) is “now redoubling its efforts to remedy this”, strengthening the defense industrial base, and insisted that Member States avoid creating new barriers that “would only increase costs, complicate production and hinder innovation.”
In his opinion, the transatlantic defense industrial cooperation “makes us all stronger” at a time when Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are increasing collaboration in this area.
“We must also avoid duplicating existing structures. We cannot afford to waste time and resources. But we are all well placed to complement each other,” he added.
In this context, Rutte praised the “impressive advantage” that the EU has with its internal market, “a huge element of soft power that can help defense production advance at a much faster pace.”
The allied secretary general also referred to the fact that NATO must be more resistant to hostile actions and “make it clear” that sabotage and other forms of destabilization “will not go unanswered.”
At a time “particularly dangerous for security”, he saw it “essential” that NATO and the EU intensify their collaboration.
“I am 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 our way of life now and in the long term; we just have to do it “he highlighted, in reference to investing more in defense and producing more capabilities.
He said that his top priority is a “stronger defense” through “spending more and spending better, but also producing more, not to provoke more, but to avoid war.”
He insisted, again, that the current defense spending goal of 2% of the allies’ GDP “is nowhere near enough to be safe in the coming years,” and asked to invest “much more.”
“We are safe now. We won’t be safe in five years, so we have to start today, investing more in increasing production, improving resilience and supporting Ukraine,” he concluded.
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