Скачать или смотреть Rutte 'deeply concerned' over EU security damage to undersea assets, to Trump's plans for Greenland

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed his 'deep concerns' about security in Europe as he spoke before the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday. "We are not at war, but we are not at peace either," he said. He encouraged EU allies to 'invest more in defence and produce more capabilities'. "This cannot wait," he stressed. "Spending more on defence means spending less on other priorities, but it can make a big difference for our future security," he added. The NATO secretary cited incidents of damage to 'undersea assets' of NATO and its allies, including the power cable between Estonia and Finland and the communications cable between Lithuania and Sweden. Rutte noted that he will travel to Helsinki for the first Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit on Tuesday where a meeting between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michel will be held. The NATO chief said talks will focus on bolstering the bloc's presence in the Baltic Sea and safeguarding critical underwater infrastructure. "We must be more resilient to such hostile actions, and we must make clear that efforts to wage wars, to sabotage and other destabilisation will not go unanswered," he said. "We are responding and will continue to ensure no country can exploit us, control our infrastructure or disrupt our societies." The EU has claimed that responsibility for the incidents rests with Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, a group of unregistered vessels reportedly involved in transporting sanctioned goods, which Moscow denies. Rutte also touched on the prospect of peace between Russia and Ukraine, following recent comments by Slovakian PM Robert Fico over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's "continuation of mutual bloodshed." “Peace will not last if war ends with a deal where Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-Un and the regime in Tehran are high-fiving each other, feeling empowered. A deal in Ukraine that serves their interests paves the way to global instability. So I am convinced that peace can only last if Ukraine comes to the table from a position of strength,” Rutte remarked. Meanwhile, Member of European Parliament Evin Incir insisted that NATO allies must 'stand united' against US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to purchase Greenland, which he described as 'troubling and unacceptable'. "As Social Democrats, we urge you as the secretary general of NATO, to stand firm in support of Denmark and Greenland," she continued. "In these times of rising geopolitical tension especially, it is vital that we stand united in defence of international law." In response, Rutte said he encouraged Trump to 'open up US defence markets'. "If you want to buy something in the US, you have to go through the Congress, the White House, the Defence Department, Pentagon, etc, before you can get your hands on the Patriot system. So make that easy," he added. Trump has suggested buying Greenland while refusing to rule out economic or even 'military' actions to achieve his goals. The US President-elect said the US needs the Denmark-controlled territory for 'national security' reasons. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen insisted Greenland was 'not for sale'. The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Lokke Rasmussen noted that Denmark is 'open to dialogue' on the Arctic region with Trump, who will take office on January 20.