NATO Chief Rutte: ‘The Frontline [in Ukraine] Is Moving in the Wrong Direction’

ZAKARIA Let me start ░░░░░░░░ with with some of ░░░░░░░░ distinguish guests here And ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ any protocol I am ░░░░░░░░ to start with the ░░░░░░░░ person on the panel ░░░░░░░░ is not a head ░░░░░░░░ government though was Mark ░░░░░░░░ Mark let me ask ░░░░░░░░ the central question that ░░░░░░░░ many people think about ░░░░░░░░ how will NATO support ░░░░░░░░ going forward And in ░░░░░░░░ eventual ceasefire deal what ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine s future with ░░░░░░░░ RUTTE Thank you very ░░░░░░░░ And also Victor and ░░░░░░░░ thank you for making ░░░░░░░░ possible again Before I ░░░░░░░░ to the question please ░░░░░░░░ me to say first ░░░░░░░░ all that we really ░░░░░░░░ to step up and ░░░░░░░░ scale back the support ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine We have to ░░░░░░░░ the trajectory of the ░░░░░░░░ which is ongoing and ░░░░░░░░ far as we know ░░░░░░░░ front line is moving ░░░░░░░░ the wrong direction it ░░░░░░░░ going west wards And ░░░░░░░░ is for three reasons ░░░░░░░░ because of Ukraine We ░░░░░░░░ allow in the 21st ░░░░░░░░ that one country invades ░░░░░░░░ country and tries to ░░░░░░░░ it We are beyond ░░░░░░░░ days past those days ░░░░░░░░ that s one Secondly ░░░░░░░░ we know it is ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine but it is ░░░░░░░░ about how China and ░░░░░░░░ Korea and Iran and ░░░░░░░░ are all working together ░░░░░░░░ this is this is ░░░░░░░░ testimony to the fact ░░░░░░░░ this is not only ░░░░░░░░ European conflict it is ░░░░░░░░ geopolitical issue a geopolitical ░░░░░░░░ which is being fought ░░░░░░░░ And if we get ░░░░░░░░ bad deal it would ░░░░░░░░ mean that we will ░░░░░░░░ the president of Russia ░░░░░░░░ fiving with the leaders ░░░░░░░░ North Korea Iran and ░░░░░░░░ and we cannot accept ░░░░░░░░ That will be geopolitically ░░░░░░░░ big a big mistake ░░░░░░░░ for all these reasons ░░░░░░░░ also for NATO itself ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine would lose that ░░░░░░░░ mean that within NATO ░░░░░░░░ are not talking about ░░░░░░░░ 3 percent instead of ░░░░░░░░ present spending commitments we ░░░░░░░░ made with the NATO ░░░░░░░░ exactly the outcome of ░░░░░░░░ debate will be It ░░░░░░░░ not be billions extra ░░░░░░░░ will be trillions extra ░░░░░░░░ if Ukraine loses then ░░░░░░░░ restore the deterrence of ░░░░░░░░ west of NATO again ░░░░░░░░ will be a much ░░░░░░░░ higher price than what ░░░░░░░░ re contemplating at this ░░░░░░░░ in terms of spending ░░░░░░░░ of ramping up our ░░░░░░░░ and ramping up our ░░░░░░░░ production. To your question —“