Ukraine could be facing its most difficult winter since February 2022 when Russia invaded its smaller neighbor, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday after a meeting of foreign ministers from the alliance.
Ukraine is facing a relentless bombardment campaign from Moscow that is targeting civilian areas and infrastructure. Russian forces are making gains along the frontline, though at a high cost, Mr. Rutte told reporters.
“We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We must provide enough support to change the trajectory of this conflict once and for all,” he said.
The alignment of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran highlights the global nature of the war. In return for the troops and weapons it’s receiving, Moscow is providing Pyongyang with support for its missile and nuclear programs, Mr. Rutte said.
“These developments could destabilize the Korean Peninsula and even threaten the United States. So Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens us all,” he said.
NATO ministers on Wednesday discussed Russia’s aggressive posture on the battlefield along with an escalating campaign of what Mr. Rutte called “hostile actions” in NATO countries.
“Both Russia and China have tried to destabilize our countries and divide our societies with acts of sabotage, cyberattacks and energy blackmail,” Mr. Rutte said. “We have seen a steep increase in these attacks, and we must hold the perpetrators to account.”
The NATO chief also made a fresh push for alliance members to ramp up their defense spending as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House next month. During his previous administration, Mr. Trump regularly rebuked NATO countries for expecting the U.S. to protect them even as they slashed their defense spending.
The invasion prompted NATO leaders to push member states to devote at least 2% of their gross domestic product to defense. During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump said that amount wasn’t sufficient and called for NATO countries to spend at least 3% on the military.
“I know many allies believe strongly that 2% is simply not enough,” Mr. Rutte said. “If you want to keep the deterrence at the present level, 2% is not enough.”