Скачать или смотреть NATO secretary general arrives for foreign ministers meeting in Brussels

(3 Dec 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium - 3 December 2025
1. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte arriving to brief media
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General:
"How do we make sure that Ukraine stays as strong as possible? The peace talks are ongoing. That's good. But at the same time, we have to make sure that whilst they take place -- and we are not sure when they will end -- that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position, to keep the fight going, to fight back against the Russians. But also in the strongest possible position when peace talks, really get to a point where they sit at the table."
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General:
(On Russian President Vladimir Putin's comment that Russia does not seek war with Europe but is prepared if it comes to it)
"I'm not going to react to everything Putin is saying. We have seen him in military clothes dressed like the soldier, at the front -- but not at the front, quite far from the front -- the day before yesterday. So, no, I'm not going to react to everything."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General:
(On military aid to Ukraine via NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, which channels U.S. weaponry to Ukraine)
"When you look at the overall numbers, as I said yesterday, we are now at 4 billion (dollars). So that means we are really on track for the 1 billion a month -- August, September, October, November. And I'm cautiously optimistic that we will reach the 5 billion for the full year and then for next year we need for the full year again a lot of money, at least 1 billion, maybe even a little bit more than 1 billion a month. It might be around 15 (billion dollars), maybe a little bit more for the whole year. When it comes to this crucial U.S. gear -- so this is offensive and defensive, including interceptors for the air defense systems crucial to keep Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure safe. So it is really good that this flow is there that Europeans are stepping up. And Canada, by the way, also doing a lot here. So really, really glad that it is working."
++BLACK FRAMES++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General:
(On energy corruption scandal in Ukraine)
"No, no, I mean, I commented before that, of course, when corruption takes place that it is important, when these corruption cases emerge, that the Ukrainians deal with it and they are dealing with it. I think the Ukrainian president is taking all the necessary steps to root out corruption."
++BLACK FRAMES++
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General:
7. Rutte leaving
STORYLINE:
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said continued military aid to Ukraine alongside economic sanctions were key to putting pressure on Russia if ongoing peace negotiations falter, as he arrived in Brussels for a meeting of allied foreign ministers on Wednesday.

"The peace talks are ongoing. That's good. But at the same time, we have to make sure that whilst they take place -- and we are not sure when they will end -- that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position, to keep the fight going, to fight back against the Russians," Rutte told reporters.

His comments come a day after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss a draft peace plan for ending the nearly four-year conflict.

Rutte refused to comment directly on the outcome of those talks.







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