NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made a sharp statement during his visit to Kyiv, addressed directly to young citizens of Russia. During a press conference, he described the situation on the front lines using harsh metaphors and called on Moscow to return to negotiations to stop the bloodshed.
'You were set up for a rodeo'
Speaking to journalists, Rutte emphasized that Russian soldiers are being sent to the front under conditions associated with extremely high risks of death. He pointed out that soldiers are often provided with unsuitable equipment, which significantly increases the likelihood of severe injury or death.
'You were set up for a rodeo. You are given ammunition, unsuitable equipment, and sent with a high chance that you will be wounded or killed. And even if you are wounded, you will be left to suffer in the mud until you die,' declared the Secretary General of the Alliance, addressing the youth of the Russian Federation.
According to Rutte, the tens of thousands of losses in the Russian army are not abstract statistics, but a real threat to the lives of those whom the Kremlin continues to send to war. He noted that Russia's actions on the battlefield increasingly resemble desperate attempts to achieve results at any cost.
Scale of losses: comparison with Afghanistan
Mark Rutte cited shocking figures regarding Russia's human resources. According to his estimates, the monthly losses of the Russian army amount to about 30,000 people. For context, the Secretary General compared these data with historical events: he noted that this is more than the Soviet Union lost in ten years of war in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Rutte emphasized that Ukraine continues to resist aggression steadfastly. It is important for NATO countries to remain by Kyiv's side in the future, supporting it in its fight for sovereignty.
'We have the convictions worth fighting for,' added the Secretary General, speaking about support for Ukraine.
Economic pressure and call for peace
NATO is also noting growing pressure on the Russian economy, which is finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the colossal costs of conducting military operations. According to the leadership of the Alliance, the international community should increase sanctions and political pressure on the Kremlin to force it back to the negotiating table.
'Although, unfortunately, there are no signs that they are ready to stop. We see that civilians continue to die, the destruction of cities continues. We strongly condemn Russia's aggression and its unwillingness to achieve peace,' concluded Rutte.
Context: threat of new mobilization
The statement by the NATO Secretary General came against the backdrop of alarming forecasts from the Ukrainian leadership. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is preparing additional mobilization to replenish losses in the war against Ukraine. According to him, the Kremlin has set a task to increase the number of occupation troops by at least tens of thousands of people, which confirms the data on the high rate of losses voiced by Rutte.