Rutte: “Solidarity with Poland Amid Reckless Moves from Russia”

“The Supreme Allied Commander will continue to actively oversee our deterrence and defense posture throughout the eastern flank. Allies are committed to defending every inch of their territory. We will closely monitor the situation along our eastern flank, with our air defenses always ready,” he added.

According to NATO’s Secretary General, allied air defenses have been activated and successfully ensured the defense of NATO territory. “Several allies have been involved, in addition to Poland. Among them, Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS, NATO multi-role tanker transport aircraft, and German Patriots. I want to express my appreciation to the pilots and everyone who contributed to this swift and competent response,” he stated.

The incident, Rutte noted, “only underscores the importance of NATO and the path agreed upon by allies at this year’s Hague Summit. We must invest more in our defense, increase defense production to ensure we have what we need to deter and defend, and we must continue to support Ukraine, whose security is interconnected with ours.” Rutte concluded by emphasizing that “Russia is waging a dangerous war of aggression against Ukraine, continually targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Allies are determined to intensify their support for Ukraine in the face of the escalating Russian campaign.”