Rutte: Main issue now is Ukraine, not Greenland
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said the key problem for NATO at present is the Russo-Ukrainian war, rather than the situation around Greenland.
As reported by The Guardian, Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he is concerned that "we might drop the ball focusing so much on these other issues".
"The risk here is that you focus, of course, on Greenland, because we have to make sure that that issue gets solved in an amicable way. But the main issue is not Greenland. Now, the main issue is Ukraine," Rutte said.
Rutte pointed out that Russia is currently destroying Ukraine's energy sector with missiles and drones amid severe frost.
"We know that it is now -20 degrees in Kyiv. We know that Ukraine can only take care of 60% of its own electricity. And yes, it is true the Russians have lost in December 1,000 people dead – not seriously wounded, but dead – a day. That's over 30,000 in the month of December… But they still continue the attack, they still increase the attack," he added.
He stressed that Ukraine now needs support from the West and added that Europe must expand its industrial base in order to be prepared for any potential challenges from Russia in the future.
Earlier, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that Ukraine remains a priority for Europe amid the escalation around Greenland.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that tensions around Greenland do not mean that the international community has forgotten about Russia's war against Ukraine.