NATO continues to support Ukraine despite the Middle East war

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on March 26 that, despite the war in the Middle East, efforts to deliver military aid to Ukraine through the alliance's procurement system are continuing. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

Speaking in Brussels, he emphasized that critical military equipment purchased through the PURL mechanism, specifically weapons acquired by allies in Europe and manufactured in the United States, are still being delivered to Kyiv. This was reported by DW.com.

According to Rutte, NATO is already coordinating military assistance to Ukraine, including the delivery of weapons and equipment, implementation of training programs, and exchange of experience among member states. At the same time, he stated that the alliance does not consider itself to be on one side of the war and refrained from specifying the extent of NATO's involvement in Ukraine's defense system.

Mark Rutte reiterated once again that Ukraine has the opportunity to join NATO, but for now, the membership issue is not being considered. In his view, supporting Ukraine is one of the alliance's top priorities because Ukraine's security is directly linked to the security of NATO countries.

Furthermore, Rutte called Russia the most serious and direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security. He criticized Moscow for attempting to weaken Western societies through cyberattacks, sabotage, and the spread of disinformation.

In addition, he warned that Russia's strengthening ties with Iran, China, and North Korea are increasing risks for the alliance.