The key facts

  • Mark Rutte called Turkey a key NATO ally, noting its large army and defense industry
  • According to him, the structure of security guarantees for Ukraine was agreed in Paris in January, but a peace treaty or ceasefire is needed
  • Rutte called for stepping up support for Ukraine ahead of winter and said that deliveries under the PURL program, including Patriot, continue

Rutte on Turkey's role in the alliance

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Dublin, called Turkey a key ally of the alliance. “You have been there almost from the very beginning. You have one of the largest armies in Europe and one of the largest defense-industrial bases in Europe. Turkey is a key ally from any point of view, and it is highly valued by the other 31 countries,” he told journalists.

Security guarantees for Ukraine

Answering a question about NATO's role in possible security guarantees for Ukraine, Rutte said that European countries and the United States reached a common understanding in January at a meeting in Paris on how such guarantees should be structured. According to him, Turkey and other key European countries should play a role in these arrangements, while the United States should provide a “clear backbone.” “This is mostly ready. It exists, but now, of course, we need a peace agreement or at least a ceasefire,” the Secretary General emphasized.

Defense spending and support for Kyiv

Rutte said that NATO's European allies and Canada will together spend an additional quarter of a trillion on defense in 2025–2026, but urged doing more: expanding defense production and producing more weapons. He also called for stepping up support for Ukraine as winter approaches, noting that the United States continues to provide “critically important” military assistance funded by Europeans and Canada. “Collectively we need to do more so that Ukraine survives the winter and is as strong as possible in negotiations with Russia,” he said. Responding to reports about possible political obstacles to deliveries of American Patriot systems, Rutte confirmed that deliveries under the PURL program continue, including air defense assets and the Patriots themselves.

Hybrid threats and a remark about “distance”

The Secretary General warned about the growth of hybrid threats in Europe — cyberattacks and arson — and called for a “whole-of-society” approach: according to him, governments will not cope alone, and businesses and citizens need to build resilience. Rutte also clarified his earlier remarks about the perception of the Russian threat in Portugal and Spain, saying that he is not criticizing these countries and welcomes the growth of their defense spending. “These new Russian missiles reach Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid or Rome five minutes later than Tallinn or Vilnius,” he explained, describing the essence of his concern.