Rutte says NATO has plans ready to defend every inch of its territory
NATO's secretary general, visiting Tallinn, said allies must do more on air defence for Ukraine as Russian strikes killed seven overnight.
Update ·
Rutte says Russian strikes killed seven and cut power to 600,000 in Ukraine overnight.
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance has the plans needed to defend every part of its territory, speaking at a joint press conference with Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal in Tallinn on Wednesday. Rutte said allies must do more to help Ukraine's air defence, as Russia's deadly strikes intensify with winter approaching.
Overnight Russian air strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure killed seven people and left 600,000 people without power, Rutte said, according to Romanian outlet Stiripesurse, which cited AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "disrespect" towards a ceasefire on energy strikes sought by US President Donald Trump.
Rutte said Russia "continues its attacks against Ukrainian civilians" and is maintaining a hybrid campaign against NATO allies, but said this should not weaken the resolve of Ukraine's allies to keep supporting it. "Putin is trying to weaken our resolve and end our support for Ukraine. But Russia is failing. It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine. And we will not be intimidated," he said.
Rutte said NATO was prepared to respond to hybrid attacks, calling them "a sign of weakness," and said the alliance would react "where needed," though not always visibly. He declined to detail NATO's defence plans for a hypothetical Russian attack, saying allies would find out if the need arose.
Michal said Russia was using hybrid attacks to try to distract NATO countries from its war on Ukraine, and pledged continued Estonian military support for Kyiv. He said Ukraine's eventual NATO membership would be a security guarantee for the alliance, adding that Estonia learns from Ukraine every day.
Rutte praised Estonia's defence spending, which he said exceeds five percent of GDP, among the largest contributions in NATO, and said the United States continues to share intelligence with Ukraine. After the press conference, Rutte was due to meet foreign minister Margus Tsahkna, give a public lecture at Tallinn University of Technology, meet President Ulle Madis, and visit the Amari air base.
What we know
- 2+ outlets · Õhtuleht, Äripäev NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance has the plans needed to defend every part of its territory, speaking in Tallinn on Wednesday.
- 2+ outlets · Știripesurse, Antena 3 CNN Rutte said allies must do more to help Ukraine's air defence as Russian strikes intensify.
- 1 outlet · Õhtuleht Overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy grid killed seven and cut power to 600,000 people, Rutte said, citing AFP.
- 1 outlet · Äripäev Rutte said Russia is waging a hybrid campaign against NATO allies, but this would not weaken support for Ukraine.
- 1 outlet · Postimees Estonian PM Kristen Michal pledged continued military support for Ukraine and said Russia uses hybrid attacks to distract from the war.
- 1 outlet · Õhtuleht Rutte praised Estonia's defence spending, which he said exceeds five percent of GDP.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Rutte's comments came the same day Russian strikes killed several people and knocked out power for 600,000 people in Kyiv, underlining why NATO allies are under pressure to bolster Ukraine's air defences before winter. His remarks on hybrid attacks follow a string of suspected sabotage incidents on European soil, including arson attacks on Starlink satellite antennas in Poland and Bulgaria that officials in Warsaw have linked to Russia.
Updates
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Rutte says Russian strikes killed seven and cut power to 600,000 in Ukraine overnight.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 9 reports from 9 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Õhtuleht: VIDEO | NATO peasekretär Mark Rutte Eestis: meil on olemas vajalikud kaitseplaanid
- Postimees: OTSEPILT ⟩ NATO peasekretäri Mark Rutte ja Kristen Michali pressikonverents
- Postimees: FOTOD ⟩ Mark Rutte kohtus Kristen Michaliga
- Știripesurse: Mark Rutte: NATO "trebuie să facă mai mult" pentru a ajuta Ucraina în privinţa apărării aeriene
- Antena 3 CNN: Rutte spune că ţările NATO "trebuie să facă mai mult" pentru a ajuta Ucraina în privinţa apărării aeriene, după restricţiile Starlink
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Questions and answers
- What did Rutte say about NATO's defence plans?
- He said NATO has the plans needed to defend every part of allied territory, though he declined to give details.
- What did Rutte say about Ukraine?
- He said NATO allies must do more to help Ukraine's air defence as Russian strikes intensify, and that Russia is failing on the battlefield.
- What happened in Ukraine overnight?
- Russian strikes on energy infrastructure killed seven people and cut power to 600,000, Rutte said, citing AFP.
This article was written with AI assistance from 11 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.