NATO chief warns that Ukraine could face brutal winter, calls for defense spending boost

Ukraine could be facing its most difficult winter since February 2022 when Russia invaded its smaller neighbor, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday after a meeting of foreign ministers from the alliance.

Ukraine is facing a relentless bombardment campaign from Moscow that is targeting civilian areas and infrastructure. Russian forces are making gains along the frontline, though at a high cost, Mr. Rutte told reporters.

“We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We must provide enough support to change the trajectory of this conflict once and for all,” he said.

The alignment of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran highlights the global nature of the war. In return for the troops and weapons it’s receiving, Mr. Rutte said Moscow is providing Pyongyang with support for its missile and nuclear programs.

“These developments could destabilize the Korean Peninsula and even threaten the United States. So Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens us all,” he said.

NATO ministers, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday discussed Russia’s aggressive posture on the battlefield along with an escalating campaign of what Mr. Rutte called “hostile actions” in NATO countries.

“Both Russia and China have tried to destabilize our countries and divide our societies with acts of sabotage, cyberattacks and energy blackmail,” Mr. Rutte said. “We have seen a steep increase in these attacks, and we must hold the perpetrators to account.”

The NATO chief also made a fresh push for alliance members to ramp up their defense spending as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House next month. During his previous administration, Mr. Trump regularly rebuked NATO countries for expecting the U.S. to protect them even as they slashed their defense spending. 

The invasion prompted NATO leaders to push member states to devote at least 2% of their gross domestic product to defense. During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump said that amount wasn’t sufficient and called for NATO countries to spend at least 3% on the military.

“I know many allies believe strongly that 2% is simply not enough,” Mr. Rutte said, who has already met with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago Florida home shortly after the election last month. “If you want to keep the deterrence at the present level, 2% is not enough.”

On what will likely be his last visit to a major gathering of NATO diplomats, Mr. Blinken again made the case for the importance of the transatlantic alliance, amid soaring concerns about what the new Trump administration will do regarding the alliance and the strong support NATO has given Ukraine in its war with Russia.

“This is a time for every ally to lean in, not lean back,” Mr. Blinken said. “A stronger NATO means more capabilities to deter aggression, more effective allies to meet more complex challenges, and the peace and stability that allows our people to pursue fuller lives.”

— This story was based in part on wire service reports.