NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Tuesday that Ukraine may face its most challenging winter since the onset of Russia’s war in 2022.
Rutte urged NATO allies to ramp up arms supplies to support Kyiv in what he described as a potentially brutal winter campaign. “NATO must increase its support for Ukraine,” he told reporters, emphasizing that Russia is still carrying out significant attacks on Ukraine’s vital energy infrastructure. He warned, “Ukraine may be heading into its most challenging winter since the start of the full-scale invasion.”
He noted that Russian losses are significant, estimating around 1,000 killed and wounded each day, with total Russian casualties since the war began reaching approximately 500,000.
“The more military support we provide, the quicker this war will end,” Rutte added.
Having recently taken over as NATO chief, Rutte emphasized the importance of ongoing military and humanitarian support for Ukraine. His comments followed a visit to Kyiv last week, where he assessed the situation and discussed additional NATO aid with Ukrainian officials.
While Rutte acknowledged that the battlefield remains “difficult” for Ukraine, especially as Russian forces make slow gains in the eastern regions, he emphasized that these advances come at a considerable cost to Moscow.
