An important NATO summit in Ankara is approaching, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has already issued a warning to Vladimir Putin. This event could have a significant impact on global politics, as NATO member states are determined to fulfill their commitments—something the Kremlin, according to Rutte, fears most.
According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the Atlantic Council, Alliance members agreed in 2025 to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. A substantial expansion of support for Ukraine was also planned. Rutte noted that last year, NATO spent 20% more on defense than expected, which sends a clear signal to Moscow.
“The main thing is for Moscow to understand: ‘We can fight you today, and we are ready to defend ourselves if you take a reckless step against us,’” Rutte emphasized.
The NATO Secretary General believes that the Alliance’s summit in The Hague was a success because the countries made specific commitments. However, fulfilling those commitments is more important, and that must happen in Ankara. “What really scares Putin is not the commitments themselves, but their implementation—and that is exactly what we are doing,” Rutte concluded.
