NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that the key task of the Alliance's summit in Ankara will be to confirm the fulfilment of allies' defence commitments, as this, in his words, is the main factor in deterring Russia.
Details: Rutte recalled that last year leaders agreed on 5% of GDP for defence spending, as well as support for Ukraine and the ramping up of defence production.
"This summit is about delivery. The credible trajectory and the fact that last year we spent almost 20% more is already the evidence that this is happening and now we have to make sure that we have the credible path to the 5% and I'm seeing it absolutely happen and when it comes to defence production, ramping it up," Rutte said.
"The most important thing is that in Moscow they get a message: 'Hey, we can fight you today, and we will make sure that whenever you make a silly move against us, we are ready to defend ourselves,'" he added.
He also said that the Hague summit was a great success because countries were able to make commitments.
"To deliver on our commitments, that is what I'm seeing is going to happen in Ankara, is even more important, because in the end Putin is not afraid of commitments, he is afraid of implementing those commitments, and that is exactly what we are doing, Vladimir, we will defend ourselves," the secretary general said.
Background:
At next month's NATO summit in Ankara, Alliance members are expected to commit to new weapons supply contracts worth billions of dollars and to increase arms production volumes, particularly for Ukraine.
Rutte previously said there will be no separate Ukraine-NATO Council meeting at the summit in Türkiye.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine will be represented at the NATO summit by a delegation that he will lead.
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