NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assessed on Friday during the Munich Security Conference that The pace of the Russian advance into Ukraine is “slightly faster than a snail's pace“. This so-called Russian bear does not exist – he added.
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Mark Rutte also drew attention to the high losses of Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. He recalled that 35,000 people died in December. Russian soldiers, and in January another 30,000. “These are the facts. That is why we must maintain Ukraine's strong position, because we see that it uses our support in the best possible way,” he noted.
Mark Rutte on the future of the NATO alliance
Mark Rutte told journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that NATO will become a more European-led alliancewhile maintaining a strong U.S. presence. He emphasized that European allies are significantly increasing their defense spending.
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NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is the world's most important political and military alliance based on the principle of collective defense, according to which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all of them. It was established in 1949 to ensure the security of Western countries, and currently brings together 32 countries, including Poland since 1999.
The Alliance is based on close transatlantic cooperation between European countries and the United States and Canada, constantly modernizing its forces in response to modern threats, such as armed aggression and cyberattacks.
The Munich Security Conference, the most important annual meeting on security policy, is taking place in the capital of Bavaria. The main topic is changes in the world order and the crisis in transatlantic relations, as well as the conflict with Iran and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The event will be attended by, among others: American Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Poland will be represented by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
