Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
NATO and Russia are sending messages in exchange. On one side, Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance. On the other, Vladimir Putin. In between, Ukraine and a war that, after four and a half years, continues unabated. Indeed, it is part of a tense international context, with the risk of further escalation. "Our response to Russia's reckless actions is to provide even greater support to Kiev so it can defend itself.
"I hope Vladimir Putin gets the message: it's not just the Ukrainians who are suffering, Russia as a whole is paying a very high price for this war he wanted. Putin sends tens of thousands of young Russians to their deaths every month, and for nothing: he is failing on the battlefield and is failing to intimidate us," Rutte said at a press conference in Münster, Westphalia, alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
NATO allies must remain “vigilant” and “attentive” in the face of Russia, which is “testing” the Alliance across “all of Europe.
We see Russia—Rutte states—testing us across Europe: airspace violations, arson, sabotage, and, of course, the Russian hybrid attack on Leipzig airport last August. While no imminent military attack against NATO is expected, we must prepare for Russia's continued campaign of hostile actions against the Allies.
We must all remain vigilant and attentive; this applies to governments, our companies, and the industrial sector.”
For Rutte, "it is crucial that allied governments and defense companies work closely together to ensure our defense industry is resilient in the face of any potential threat. The Kremlin is trying to divide us and dissuade us from supporting Ukraine. Our message is clear: let's stay calm, move forward, and continue to support Ukraine." "We have the necessary capabilities," he continues, "we have the means to defend every inch of allied territory and to remain strong, ready, and capable of countering any threat. And once again, today, we are seeing an initial success story in cooperation between Germany and the Netherlands. 'Moving forward' also means continuing to invest in defense, strengthening our deterrent and defense capabilities against threats from all directions: Germany and the Netherlands are doing exactly that by increasing military spending," he concludes.
Putin quickly responded with a series of statements before the audience at the Valdai Forum. The Russian president deployed his familiar repertoire: he pointed the finger at NATO expansionism, accused Ukraine of creating the conditions for conflict, and proposed a vision of Russia forced to fight to defend itself. Moscow, Putin said, will not attack NATO countries but is ready to defend itself if the West were to take action against the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. In recent months, NATO countries have conducted several military exercises along the borders of Kaliningrad. This prompted Moscow to issue a statement condemning "provocative words and actions by the Atlantic Alliance's leadership and member states." NATO, in turn, denounced Russia's "threat of the use of force," "including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric."
"Russia has no intention of attacking anyone in 2029, 2030, or 2050," Putin stated, immediately shifting the focus to NATO: "The exercises conducted by the West in the Baltic Sea and the attempts to stop or seize Russian ships are an escalation," he said, identifying those responsible for a potential escalation. "If a direct attack were to come against Russia, Russia's use of all available weapons would become inevitable," he said, raising the possibility of even using nuclear weapons.
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