NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday in Brussels that NATO has stood by Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, launched four years ago, and will continue to do so. Ukraine is a nation of “quiet heroes”; the burden of this war is borne by both civilians and soldiers, Rutte said.
On the fourth anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the head of the Alliance stated that NATO not only pays tribute to those who have died and those who continue to suffer, but also does not lose hope, as Ukraine has inspired the world with its courage for four consecutive years.
The Secretary General recalled that he had the honor of addressing the Ukrainian parliament for the first time just weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
“I said then that this war concerns the right of a sovereign nation to choose its own path. It is about freedom. Yours and ours. And that remains true today,” Rutte stressed, assuring that the Alliance has stood with Ukraine from the very beginning, stands with it now, and will continue to do so in the future.
Rutte also noted that three weeks ago he visited Kyiv again, where he saw homes and energy infrastructure mercilessly bombed by Russia. He added that he met people who had survived brutal Russian captivity and paid tribute to the heroes who fell in 2014 at Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The head of the Alliance described Ukrainians as “quiet heroes”, pointing out that the burden of war is carried not only by soldiers, but also by civilians.
The Secretary General emphasized that it is essential for Ukraine to continue receiving the military, financial, and humanitarian support it needs so that it can defend itself against Russian aerial terror and hold the front line. “Promises will not end this war,” Rutte said, adding that Ukraine needs ammunition today and every day until the bloodshed ends.
The NATO chief observed that Russia has failed to achieve its ambitions on the battlefield and that Vladimir Putin must demonstrate whether he is serious about peace. “President Trump has made it clear from the outset that he wants to end the war now,” Rutte stressed.
He added that Ukrainians deserve a just and lasting peace, upheld by strong Ukrainian forces ready to deter and defend, as well as effective security guarantees from Ukraine’s partners – Europe, Canada, and the United States.
“This will provide Ukraine with the stability necessary for reconstruction and will form the foundation of its prosperity,” Rutte concluded.