Latest Mark Rutte News

NATO announces a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region

Jan. 14, 2025 11:55 AM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region after a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region, the alliance's leader said on Tuesday. Secretary-General Mark Rutte...

Finnish investigators find an anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed after suspicious cable damage

Dec. 30, 2024 09:41 AM EST

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) — Finnish investigators probing the damage to a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables said they found an anchor drag mark on the seabed, apparently from a Russia-linked vessel that has already been seized. The discovery heightened concerns about...

NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables

Dec. 27, 2024 15:38 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities seized...

NATO chief inspects joint military unit in Bulgaria and urges alliance to boost support for Ukraine

Dec. 19, 2024 12:21 PM EST

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — NATO’s secretary general on Thursday visited a military training site in Bulgaria, inspecting the activities of a multinational unit set up as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Mark Rutte told reporters it was important to ensure that the...

NATO leader says he wants to put Ukraine in a position of strength for any peace talks with Russia

Dec. 18, 2024 14:40 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO's secretary-general said he wants to discuss ways to put Ukraine in a position of strength for any future peace talks with Russia during a meeting Wednesday with Ukraine’s president and a small number of European leaders. But Mark Rutte appeared frustrated at...

NATO chief warns that Putin wants long-term confrontation with Europe after Ukraine

Dec. 12, 2024 14:01 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to “wipe Ukraine off the map” and could come after other parts of Europe next, as he urged Europeans to press their governments to ramp up defense spending. “It is...

NATO chief urges European allies to ramp up defense spending as Trump returns to White House

Dec. 04, 2024 11:59 AM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte led a fresh push Wednesday for European countries to ramp up defense spending, a budget shortfall that President-elect Donald Trump used to berate U.S. allies during his first term in office, severely damaging trust. After Russia...

Hungarian official says there is 'no consensus' on inviting Ukraine to join NATO

Dec. 04, 2024 07:52 AM EST

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's foreign minister said a meeting of his counterparts from NATO member countries in Brussels on Wednesday had produced “no consensus” on the prospect of inviting Ukraine to join the transatlantic military alliance, a step Kyiv sees as an essential condition...

NATO's chief avoids talk of Ukraine's membership. He says the priority is helping Kyiv defend itself

Dec. 03, 2024 09:15 AM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s possible membership in the military alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen the country’s hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons. ...

Zelenskyy says NATO offer for Ukraine-controlled territory could end 'hot stage' of war

Nov. 30, 2024 13:49 PM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An offer of NATO membership to territory under Kyiv’s control would end “the hot stage of the war” in Ukraine, but any proposal to join the military alliance should be extended to all parts of the country that fall under internationally recognized borders, President...