Ukraine, Rutte: «If there isn’t any settlement, proceed with weapons and sanctions». Moscow, contacts with Washington will proceed | EUROtoday

Russia: Rutte, «is getting ready for long-term confrontation»

Russia is “preparing for a long-term confrontation” and allies should reply by stepping up funding and help for Ukraine. This was said by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as he opened the assembly of the Alliance’s overseas ministers underway in Brussels. Moscow, he underlines, “continues to test our deterrence”, continues to “violate our airspace with jets and drones, has conducted sabotage and sends spy ships into our waters. These actions are reckless and are dangerous. And it is not just Russia. It is working closely with China, North Korea and Iran to try to disturb our societies and tear up global rules. They are preparing for a long-term confrontation”. NATO, Rutte continues, is “responding with strength, unity and determination”. European allies and Canada “are really stepping up defense investment, and that’s a good thing, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels: we all need to do our part, and fast,” by growing and buying vital collective protection capabilities and investing in business, infrastructure and innovation to spice up manufacturing and strengthen resilience, he explains. “We also need to support Ukraine more. Russian missiles continue to cause death and destruction, and winter is here. Ukraine needs our support more than ever. We all want the bloodshed to stop and I welcome President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to end this war,” he continues, highlighting that within the meantime we have to speed up contributions to the Purl mechanism, by means of which Ukraine’s allies buy weapons from the US and ship them to Kiev, in order that it may well “defend itself today and prevent aggression in the future.”

Russian property, Belgium: EU Commission proposal is worse than all

Belgium is categorically towards the European Commission’s proposal to make use of frozen Russian property, contemplating it extraordinarily dangerous. This was said by the nation’s Foreign Minister, Maxime Prevot.

“We have repeatedly said that we consider the reparation loan option to be the worst of all, given that it is risky and has never been implemented before,” Prevot informed reporters on his arrival in Brussels for the NATO overseas ministerial assembly. “It doesn’t address our concerns,” he pressured.

Ukraine, Rutte downplays Rubio’s absence: «Constant contact»

“We don’t read more than there is” within the absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the NATO ministerial underway in Brussels. Secretary General Mark Rutte said this upon coming into the assembly. The United States is “absolutely consulting quite a bit” with the Alliance, he says, “the teams here at NATO and Marco Rubio’s team are in constant contact. I myself am in constant contact with the secretary of state. Obviously he is working very hard regarding the peace process on Ukraine, but also regarding Sudan, Gaza and all the other issues that the Americans are working on. So I find it totally acceptable that he is not here.” In his place is Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, Rutte continues: “I had dinner with him last night and he will be truly excellent at the table. So let’s not read more than there is into this matter.”