Khaberni - NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, stated that NATO focuses on setting standards and capability goals, while the European Union possesses the internal market strength that guarantees the development of the defense industrial base and providing the necessary funds and resources to support Ukraine.
At a joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Rutte said that "the drone wall initiative was an excellent idea," noting that the first meeting of this initiative was held last Friday with the participation of NATO and the Eastern wing countries of the alliance.
He added that this step is necessary "to protect the European airspace" in light of recent incidents involving drones in Poland, MiG-31 aircraft in Estonia, and what is currently being investigated in Denmark.
He explained that the alliance is still assessing whether these actions were intentional by Russia or not, but he emphasized that they are "reckless and unacceptable even if they were not deliberate."
Regarding Ukraine, Rutte considered it to be "Europe's first line of defense," confirming that supporting it "is related to values and collective security". He said that the United States "has reopened support channels through the PURL initiative to provide Ukraine with lethal and non-lethal weapons, which is important with funding from the allies".
He also praised the European Commission initiatives, such as the SAFE program, to support Ukraine in the fight and to ensure that it is "in the strongest possible position in any future peace talks".
NATO’s Secretary-General reiterated that cooperation with the European Union occurs at "all levels," not just between him and the Commission President, stressing that both parties aim to "maximize the benefits from each other's strengths to face common challenges".
