Melike Pala
21 July 2025•Update: 21 July 2025
BRUSSELS
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte participated Monday in an online meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, emphasizing enhanced support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
During the meeting with defense ministers, Rutte emphasized the initiative he and US President Donald Trump announced last week, aimed at enhancing support for Ukraine by providing additional US assets through investments from allies in Europe and Canada, according to a statement.
"This new initiative is open-ended and has already seen numerous allies express interest in contributing. It complements a range of other initiatives through which allies support Ukraine and provides new access to US equipment and technology that Ukraine has requested for urgent delivery," the statement said.
NATO will coordinate the initiative through its command in Wiesbaden, Germany, at the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), which manages logistical hubs in the eastern part of the alliance territory.
"The aim of all allied security assistance to Ukraine is to bring the conflict to a just and lasting end as quickly as possible," it added.
"We continue to work closely to ensure (Ukraine) has the support they need - including through the new initiative that enables Allies new access to purchase US equipment for Ukraine via #NATO," Rutte wrote on X after the meeting.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was hosted by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and UK Defense Secretary John Healey.
