NATO Secretary General calls for increased, not reduced support for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Photo: Reuters

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on the United States to continue to support Ukraine, and if necessary, Europe will finance the weapons provided.

He said this on Thursday, 23 January, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Reuters reports.

«On Ukraine, we also need the United States to stay engaged», he said.

The NATO chief said that the alliance should invest more in defence and increase defence production. In addition, it should increase some of its aid spending to Ukraine.

«If this new Trump administration wants to continue to support Ukraine from its defence industrial base, the Europeans will pay the bill, I am absolutely convinced of that, we should be ready to do that», the NATO chief said.

In Davos, Rutte also said that it is extremely important that Russia does not win, as this could lead to Vladimir Putin «high-fiving» the leaders of North Korea and China.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was unfair when Ukrainians were told about joining NATO.