Rutte hopes to achieve 'more evenly spread' military support for Ukraine among Europe's NATO members
on Google
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on May 22 underscored support for Ukraine and said he hopes to better spread military support for Kyiv among Europe's members of the alliance.
"What I want to achieve is that the burden is more evenly spread, that there is more burden sharing here. Because at the moment, it is only six or seven allies who are doing the heavy lifting," Rutte said at the Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers.
After U.S. President Donald Trump rolled back military aid for Ukraine, Kyiv's European allies have largely footed the bill to support Ukraine.
"The good news is that what they do is enough to make sure that Ukraine keeps having the access to this crucial U.S. equipment. But of course it would be fairer if within NATO, and particularly the European part of NATO, we could see other allies also stepping up," he said.
Rutte noted that Kyiv's NATO allies remain committed to Ukraine and maintain military and political support as Russia's war continues.
"(W)hen it comes to the support for Ukraine and political support for Ukraine particularly, there is absolutely no discussion," he said.
Rutte also condemned Russia's attacks on civilian infrastructure as Ukrainian cities continue to be fatally bombarded.
Overnight on May 14, a deadly Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed at least 24 people and injured at least 48 others.
"Russia continues to wage its horrific war and target civilians and civilian infrastructure. Ukraine continues to defend its sovereignty and independence with bravery and ingenuity," he said.
The military alliance will continue to work on delivering consistent support for Ukraine, including through mechanisms such as the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).
"(W)e are working to ensure that our support for Ukraine remains substantial, remains predictable, remains sustainable, and based on Ukraine's critical requirements," Rutte said.
