NATO Secretary General expresses concern over shifting Ukrainian front to the west

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on February 1 that the Ukrainian front shifting westward is a move in the "wrong" direction.

"The front is moving in the wrong direction <...> our job is to make sure that they [Russia] never achieve their goals," Rutte said in an interview with German newspaper Bild.

He noted that to stop Russia, NATO and allies will need to spend more money on defense and weapons production. In addition, Rutte urged Kiev's allies to supply Ukraine with more funds. In his opinion, the United States and Germany should be involved in this issue as a matter of priority.

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Earlier, on January 23, Rutte said that Ukraine's loss in the conflict would cost NATO additional trillions of dollars. According to him, member states need to strengthen support for Kiev, not weaken it, as the front line is not moving in the direction the alliance seeks.

On January 21, US President Donald Trump said that NATO should spend more on the Ukraine conflict than Washington because it affects European countries much more. Trump added that the North Atlantic Alliance needs to allocate more funds to "even the score."

Before that, on January 13, NATO Secretary General said that Ukraine cannot negotiate with Russia from a position of strength.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine against the backdrop of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which was announced by the Russian president on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.