Rutte outlines agenda for NATO-Ukraine Council meeting on 3 December

A working lunch between foreign ministers of the NATO-Ukraine Council has been scheduled for 3 December.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at a press conference that the meeting will involve the European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

"At the working lunch of the NATO-Ukraine Council, we will be joined, as I said, by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha and the EU's High Representative Kaja Kallas," Rutte said.

Rutte stressed that NATO "must not lose sight of Russia's increasingly brutal attacks against Ukraine".

"Russia is systematically targeting civilian infrastructure, depriving Ukrainians of heat and light at the start of winter. Russia is not alone in this war, as China continues to be its decisive enabler, and Iran and North Korea also provide support. Since the earliest days of Russia's full-scale invasion, Allies have shown unwavering commitment to Ukraine," he said.

Rutte added that NATO must do more to support Ukraine and that "it's time to allow Europe to take on this".

As reported earlier, Mark Rutte has also said that under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirement List (PURL) initiative, which provides for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine, he expects deliveries to the Armed Forces of Ukraine of US arms worth at least US$17 billion.

Ukraine's ambassador to NATO is also counting on a further €1 billion for PURL this year.

On the eve of the meeting, Ukraine's Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal reportedly spoke with the NATO chief about strengthening Ukraine's air defence.