Rutte and NATO ambassadors visited the site of the Russian strike in Lukyanivka, Kyiv
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, along with ambassadors from the Alliance’s 32 member countries, visited the site of the recent Russian strike on the Lukyanivskyi district of Kyiv. Following the visit, he released a video message in which he commented on the aftermath of the attack.
“Behind me, you can see the destruction caused by Russian attacks over the past ten days,” says the Secretary General.
In his message, Mark Rutte praised the bravery and professionalism of Ukrainian rescue workers.
“They are doing an extraordinary job, but at the same time they are putting themselves in mortal danger, as Russian missiles often strike repeatedly. It was right here that one of the rescuers was killed by a second missile strike.”
The NATO Secretary General calls Russia’s tactic of striking civilian infrastructure nothing less than a cowardly act of impotence.
“This is what Russia is doing. It is trying to sow fear and terror among the people of Ukraine. And this is, in essence, a cowardly act, because Russia is unable to win on the front lines. So instead of achieving success there, the Russians are trying to create an atmosphere of fear and terror in Ukrainian cities,” Mark Rutte stated.
The NATO Secretary General arrived at the site of the strikes along with 32 NATO ambassadors. All Alliance member states are represented in Kyiv today.
In addition, Mark Rutte believes that the unity of the allies is the best signal to Putin.
“I believe this is a very clear signal to Vladimir Putin. A few days ago, I told all diplomatic missions: if Putin wants you to leave Kyiv, the response must be the opposite. So instead of leaving, all 32 ambassadors, all 32 allies, are here today,” said the Secretary General.
Mark Rutte stated that the presence of all representatives of the Alliance’s member countries is a clear sign of support for Ukraine.
“We have boundless respect for the resilience of Ukrainians and their struggle on the front lines. But we also want to show that Russia will never win this war through such terror. Ukrainians will never allow that. And we will not allow it either,” he added in a video on social media.
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