NATO leaders said the military alliance needs to turn to a “wartime mentality.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that members recognize “need to invest more” and that Europe must “responsibility for their own security”, including support for Ukraine after the United States told members the day before. .
“We are producing faster than at any time in decades, but we can and have to do more to ensure our credibility in the defence gains over the next few years,” Rutt said.
“We need to turn to a wartime mentality, we need the industry to move with us. The demand signal is clear and they will continue to grow.”
Speaking after the League Defense Ministers' Meeting, Rutte said he believed officials would return to his country with a “greater sense of urgency” to increase spending.
His comments were posted in a repeated calls from U.S. President Donald Trump, other NATO allies need to make more investments.
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“The United States remains committed to the NATO alliance and its defense partnership with Europe. Go all out,” Heggs said.
“But the United States will no longer tolerate imbalanced relationships, thus encouraging dependence. Instead, our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to its own security responsibilities.”
Of the 32 member states, a total of 23 are in line with the organization's commitment to paying its defense budget to its defense budget last year, but one-third are still missing.
Canada is one of those who continue to lack it.
Ukraine was also a major focus of the conference, and Roth said the alliance discussed the importance of ongoing support.
Trump said on Wednesday that he had spoken on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said Ukraine could not rewind all of its land and could not join NATO.
The remarks have raised alarms from Kiev and NATO European allies who say they are worried that the White House may not have reached a deal.
“As a sovereign state, we simply cannot accept any agreement,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He said Putin aims to engage in bilateral negotiations with the United States, which does not allow.
When asked whether Ukraine would start any negotiations from a weak standpoint, Rat disagreed.
“Even if the conversation starts, they won't end on day one or the second, so let's say we have to ensure the path to success in the conversation,” he said.
“It is important that we have to reach a peace agreement while ensuring Putin understands that the West is united and that Ukraine is getting all the support needed to win.”
“There wouldn't be negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine. Ukraine's voice must be at the heart of any negotiations,” British Defense Minister John Healey told reporters at NATO headquarters.
Responding to reporters’ questions about European participation, Rutte said that allies were consulting “with each other”, including the United States, and said they were working to “go to the same page.”
While not seeing what could happen during the peace talks, Rut stressed that while the coalition was committed to NATO as a future membership in Ukraine, it was not part of the peace talks discussion.
“What I've always said is that we have to make sure whatever the outcome is, we have to make sure Vladimir Putin never tries to attack Ukraine,” he said.
“However, Ukraine never promised Ukraine that they would be in NATO as part of the peace agreement.”
– Using Reuters and Associated Press documents
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
