Russia can gain room for further aggression if support for Ukraine not kept at center of NATO's focus, Rutte's deputy says

This was stated by NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska during a discussion on restoring European agency at the Munich Security Conference, Ukrinform reports.

"The focus on Ukraine is the right focus. And what we have been saying – pressure to Russia, if it is not continued, we fail. Support to Ukraine, if we don't continue and strengthen it in certain areas, our deterrence will be weakened," she said.

According to her, all intelligence reports and political analysis confirm that after the war ends, Russia will become an even greater threat.

"You look at their military production, look at the military reconstitution – all this sends the message that this concept that Russia's foreign policy is about expansion is standard. And this is why the investment in our defense and this is why investment in our production very much will continue to be the priority," Shekerinska explained.

Regarding support for Ukraine, NATO will continue to adhere to the concept of "greater burden-sharing" and will insist on strengthening the European pillar of the Alliance.

"We have to have European allies and Canada stepping up but in the same time we have to get our work done within NATO. Uh yesterday I think also secretary general mentioned this the change in Europe and Canada is really breathtaking. Look at Germany's number in 2029 so six years ahead of the commitment in Hague they will spend EUR 152 billion on defense already there. It's double the amount that they have invested in security in 2021," she detailed.

She also stressed that seven of NATO's nine forward land forces are now led by Europeans, while the United States is strengthening its leadership in three commands.

"We can have a stronger uh European uh pillar. we can have stronger European presence, stronger European leadership, but in the same time we invest in the transatlantic cooperation because it gives us the action and the speed that we need. Don't forget Turkey, UK, Norway all this is part of this effort to strengthen the alliance and to strengthen the European part of the alliance. We need the strong sides of NATO in order to deliver when needed," Shekerinska emphasized.

She also added that in less than 12 months, NATO has reinforced its eastern flank through the activity Eastern Sentry, responded to threats in the Baltic Sea through Baltic Sentry, and launched a new activity - Arctic Sentry - to jointly counter threats in the Arctic.

As Ukrinform reported, Boris Pistorius is convinced that Europe must assume significantly greater responsibility for the continent's conventional defense while maintaining U.S. strategic and nuclear support.