NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte claims that in the war against Ukraine, russia has lost more than a million people killed and wounded. Speaking on Monday in Ljubljana at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the NATO Secretary General expressed his belief that “we should not underestimate the threat from russia, but neither should we overestimate russia’s capabilities”, - writes Interfax-Ukraine.
“Despite their statements, they have been unable to achieve their ambitions (to win in Ukraine — ed.), and at an incredible cost — more than a million russians have been killed or severely injured”, - he noted.
Rutte stated that russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are working together to try to reshape the global order. “At present, russia allocates 40% of its budget to the military economy. And this year alone, it is expected that at least 1,500 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles, and hundreds of Iskander missiles will be deployed. China is also rapidly expanding its military capabilities, including its nuclear arsenal”, - he said.
Rutte recalled that at the NATO summit in The Hague this year, the allies decided to invest 5% of GDP in defense — both in core defense spending and in investments related to defense and security. “In The Hague, we committed to rapidly expanding defense production across the Alliance so that our armed forces have the capabilities needed to sustain our strong deterrence and defense posture today and in the future”, - emphasized the NATO Secretary General.