Rutte: NATO should work on changing the war’s trajectory and increasing the price of aggression for Russia.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed the urgent need to step up action to change the trajectory of Russia’s war against Ukraine, citing the recent deployment of North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region, as Europe and the world now face a threat “much darker than the devastation already inflicted on the people of Ukraine.”

Rutte noted that NATO countries have collectively provided more than 99% of the military aid to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion and are on track to meet its planned €40B in military aid commitments this year. However, he claims that NATO support should go beyond supporting Ukraine’s defense.

“Now, we need political commitment to continue this course in the long term. So far, our support has helped Ukraine continue the fight, but we need to do much more to change the trajectory of the conflict. We must raise the price for Putin and his allies,” he said.