NATO Secretary General with 🇺🇸 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, 17 OCT 2024

Short remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the NATO Defence Ministers Meetings, 17 October 2024.

🗣 | NATO Secretary General:

Good afternoon, good to see you. I really would like to welcome Secretary Austin, dear Lloyd to NATO again. You've been here many times, many times more than I've been here personally, because I'm only here since three weeks. And basically, the agenda for the next two days is very much focusing on issues where you, personally, and United States have provided leadership.

This afternoon, the meeting with our Indo-Pacific partners, and also the EU being present in that meeting, because we cannot look at the world just as the Euro Atlantic region and Indo Pacific region. They are connected, and there are many threats and challenges which we have to face together. And I know this is particularly on your mind, the President’s and United States as a whole.

Then tonight, Ukraine. If there is one Ally from day one which has provided the military aid necessary for Ukraine to fight off the onslaught of Russia, starting at the end of February 2022 it was the United States, and I want to salute you for your personal leadership in bringing together the Ramstein coalition.

And I know from Ukrainians how important this has been from day one for them to make sure and understand and feel psychologically, but also in a reality that they were not alone. Thank you for that.

And then, of course, tomorrow, we will focus at many other issues. They will be important. And particularly I want to commend here the US leadership on ramping up the money we collectively spent on defence. It was in 2014 far below 2% and now as Alliance as a whole, even if you would not figure in the US numbers, it is at 2% and we all know, and I know you agree with this, we have to increase defence spending. That will be debated tomorrow and probably in some of the meetings following after this one, and of course, up to the meeting in The Hague when we have our Summit next summer. But you all know we stand ready now, but if you want to be standing ready for the longer term, we have to ramp up our money, our defence spending. And it is the US and also you personally and the President leading them. So again, thank you Lloyd for being here and being such a staunch ally and defending this part of the world, helping us to do that. Thank you.

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[anthonettedillard]

Thank you Secretary of Defense Austin!!! Your Leadership has been Exemplary, continued Good Health Sir!!! HARRIS WALZ 🗳️💙🇺🇲

[milahundepensiontaastrup-v]

Mark Rutte is great! Regards from the Nordics. His English is excellent....

[geoffpurser]

I thought it would be difficult for Mr. Rutte to follow the great work done by Mr. Stoltenberg. But in the short time that he has led NATO in my opinion Rutte has shown he is the best man for this difficult job. I wish him every success because you could say our lives depend on it.

[hauer]

Mark Rutte's leadership of NATO will be a great asset to the Alliance... always straight to the point!

[auliashandy]

Absolutely the reliable coalision for great Nato forward

[d_tyros]

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte you're an amazing man that brings enlighment to our hearths in NATO also Europa God Bless you Sir

[Joe_Terra_Citizen]

The free and democratic peoples of Earth support President Zelensky's Victory Plan ALL THE WAY!!!

[Sophiedorian]

I have never seen the U.S. Secretary of Defense so relaxed in Brussels.

[mylifeexprienceineurope]

Keep it up NATO. do not let those dictators rule over us. We know what dictators want.

[marjankeuzenkamp]

Proud to be dutch; he was an excellent prime minister.

[mrHBarry]

If we, the west, is serious about saving our Democracy then we must do more to support Ukraine.

[คมกริชศรีมาชัย-ฐจ]

Nicely​ address​ed​ &​ good​ personality, no​ more​ words, ​Paolo​ thailand​

[williamsimonyan]

Proud of living in the Netherlands. I got my citizenship when Mark Rutte was our Prime minister. He will definitely be NATO's one of the best Secretary Generals with effective leadership.

[vinojsagar]

We Want NATO to expand into Asia. Japan should first Join it. Fllowed by Korea and India.

[d_tyros]

That man is (staunch) meaning (solid )in his role as Secretary General

[Gnosticware]

Good to hear reaffirmation of Biden's and Austins role in Ukraine; if not for those two men Ukraine would be a distant memory. Too many Ukraine supporters are constantly yelling at Biden for not doing what the armchair generals think he should do.

[BogardanLord]

👌 I like his dutch accent. He will do a great job leading the defence of Europe.

[stevebradford]

The importance of having allies that can be counted on can not be overstated. NATO Is the most important multinational organization in the world to respond to the threat posed by Russia.

[barrydechef]

Damm trots op die Rutte lekker bezig mark!!

[c.a.saunders]

I wish all of our Nato, Pacific, and Ukrainian partners a very successful, and fruitful meeting.

Congratulations again to Secretary Rutte.
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Glory to God,
Victory for Ukraine,
Rise Free Nations!