NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on members of the alliance and other Western partners to provide greater support to Ukraine amid the upcoming cold winter, reported DPA.
After a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevičs at the military base "Adaži" earlier today Rutte warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would "use winter as a weapon".
Rütte said that Russia will try to destroy Ukraine's energy supply system. "That is why we all need to increase our support to Ukraine, including with (air defense systems) to protect critical infrastructure," he added.
To strengthen their own defense capabilities, NATO members will need to increase their defense spending and boost the production of weapons and ammunition, Rutte said. For his part, Rinkevichs also called on NATO partners to allocate more defense funds, specifically advocating for between 2.5 and 3 percent of the countries' gross domestic product (GDP). The official goal of the alliance is for the member countries to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
Rute and Rinkevičs observed a military exercise of the multinational NATO brigade stationed in Latvia, which for the first time carried out military maneuvers together as a full force. In the doctrine "Resolute Warrior" (Resolute Warrior) involved about 3,500 soldiers from 13 member states of the alliance. Latvia shares a common border with Russia and with its close ally Belarus to the east, DPA notes.