BRUSSELS, Jan 15 (KUNA) -- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that the time has come to shift to a wartime mindset.
In an opening speech at the NATO Defence Committee meeting in Brussels, Rutte emphasized that to achieve this transformation, it was necessary to strengthen the Allianceآ’s defences through increased defence spending and producing more and better defence capabilities.
In this context, he stressed the need for more support for Ukraine to change the course of the war, pointing to what he described as the acceleration of Russian hostilities against Alliance countries, which range from cyberattacks to assassination attempts and sabotage, according to his speech.
He accused Russia of attempting to weaken democracy and undermine freedom in NATO countries, considering that the overall security picture is not good, but the Alliance knows exactly what needs to be done to protect it.
He added that all allies have increased their defence investments and that NATO has strong military plans, as he put it.
From his side, NATOآ’s Military Committee Chairman, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that NATO must prepare for war not because it is inevitable, but because being prepared enhances deterrence power.
In his opening speech at the meeting, Bauer clarified that Russia has not yet achieved any of its strategic objectives in Ukraine, while 700,000 Russians have been killed or injured, and the entire Russian population is bearing the burdens of the war.
He added, Today is the 1057th day of what Russia thought would be a three-day war.
He reaffirmed that supporting Ukraine is not merely a charitable act, but is at the heart of the Allianceآ’s political and military interests, stressing that Russiaآ’s war against Ukraine has global ramifications.
Bauer also expressed NATOآ’s significant concern about Chinaآ’s role in global security, noting that there is a lack of transparency regarding the building of its military power, including its nuclear capabilities.
He accused Beijing of showing an increasingly aggressive behavior toward its neighbors and of being a key enabler of Russiaآ’s war efforts.
The NATO Military Committee, composed of Chiefs of Defence, is meeting for two days in Brussels. In addition to discussing the Ukrainian question, the committee will address the Allianceآ’s readiness to deter and defend its members, ongoing NATO missions and operations, ways to address global instability, and strengthening military cooperation. (end) arn.rk