Remarks

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: 

Good evening. Andrii Sybiha is standing next to me, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine.

Andrii, a warm welcome again to this building, and we will have a dinner tonight with the, with the foreign ministers of all the NATO allies. Let me first say that it is this week that we commemorate, three years ago, the Bucha slaughter by the Russians. And I was in Bucha myself a couple of months later, when I visited Kyiv and I spoke with some of the people who survived. And that was extremely impressive, and for me, evidence that it will be a very difficult effort to deal with the Russians. I commend, of course, the American efforts to break the deadlock, that is important. We have to make sure that whenever a cease fire or a peace deal is reached, that it is enduring, that it is lasting. Because we know that this is not - of course, this is, first of all, Ukraine - but the world is watching. This is not a regional war. It is a global conflict, because Russia is working together with North Korea, with China, with Iran. And ultimately, there is an audience of one, which will be judging the outcome of this war. That is the first Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Mr. Xi Jinping. And he will be watching who comes out on top? Is it Russia or the West? And that will also inform him in his next steps in the Indo Pacific. I have no doubt. 

So let's be absolutely clear about it. First of all, Ukraine, but this, this is a truly global conflict. And when it comes to all the support for Ukraine, I'm happy to also here, to remind us, that in the first three months of this year, 20 billion euros - so that is close to 22 billion dollars, US dollars - of support has been committed by NATO allies to send to Ukraine. And that is in the first three months where, over last year, it was a total amount of 50 billion. So here we have 20 billion in the first three months. So that is evidence that NATO Allies are continuing the support. And the command in Wiesbaden and the logistical nodes in the eastern part of NATO are working closely together to make sure that all this gear, all this military aid, is getting and shipped to Ukraine in a way that it maximizes the impact on your war effort. 

So we will continue to do that. We are with you, every step of the way, as you know. And again, thank you for being here. Thank you for willing to update the foreign ministers on the situation in Ukraine. And please, Andrii,  if you would share one of two thoughts with us.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha:

Dear Mark, dear Secretary General, dear friends, for me, it is really important to be here today. Thank you for inviting me. Tonight, we have a very important meeting of the NATO Ukraine Council, and I am deeply grateful to all our allies for their support, and thanks a lot for your valuable remarks. I especially thank you, Mark, for your personal commitment and leadership. I came, I came to NATO headquarters to talk about peace.  Just, long, lasting, comprehensive peace. How to achieve it and how to sustain it. Ukraine has shown its readiness to achieve peace. We accepted the US proposal for a full interim 30-day cease fire without any conditions. This proposal is still on the table, but we can see that instead of accepting it, Putin talks about demands and conditions.

Russia must get serious about peace. For this, it is time to increase pressure in Moscow. Now is the time for diplomacy, but also pressure and deterrence. While the media attention is on global trade wars, we must not forget there is a real, full-scale war going on in Europe. Russia remains an existential threat to Europe. Every single day, in Ukraine, means Russian bombs, drones, constant missile threats, hundreds of Shahed every night. It cannot be ignored. And of course, we expect a strong response.

Today at the NATO Ukraine Council, I will focus on self-sufficiency of Ukraine and Europe. Ukraine now spends 26% of its budget on defence. Our defence industry produces millions of drones per year, among other achievements. We are already almost 40% self-sufficient, and we can increase all of these numbers. Modern Ukraine is a guardian of peace and Euro, Atlantic security, not a country only seeking protection. 800,000 Ukrainian soldiers are defenders of Ukraine, but they are also defenders of Europe. They must be well armed. Peace must be well armed. 

Our defence industry will become the backbone of European defence. Our army is the largest land army in Europe, and our defence technology is one of the most advanced. NATO and Europe must look eastwards and see a strong and committed ally, Ukraine. The question today is not whether Russia wants to attack the rest of Europe. Look at how much resources it puts in its military machine. The question is only, will we will we be prepared or not? Will we stop Russia in Ukraine and deter in further aggression? Our answer is yes, but only if pressure on Moscow is increased and Ukraine is strengthened. 

Today, I will discuss with allies how to put pressure in Russia to engage in real dialog. I will also discuss our urgent defence needs and security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as a credible deterrence package. 

For us, strong long-lasting guarantees are directly linked to the ongoing peace process and efforts, because without them, Russia will attack again. We remember what Russia occupation brings. Three years ago, on this day, Ukraine liberated the village of Yahidne. We saw unspeakable atrocities there. We don't want to see this and other villages and communities occupied again. This is a historic and defining moment for the future of Ukraine and Europe. It demands our strength, our commitment and our unity. And I am certain we can find them. Thank you Mark and thank you, press.