NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on alliance members and other Western partners to provide increased support to Ukraine as the cold season begins.

Speaking after his meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs at the Adazi military base, Rutte warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will use winter as a weapon.”

Rutte stated that Russia would attempt to destroy Ukraine’s energy supply system. “This is why we must increase our support for Ukraine, including air defense systems, to protect critical infrastructure.”

In order to strengthen their own defense capabilities, NATO members must increase their defense spending and boost weapons production, Rutte said. Rinkēvičs also urged NATO partners to allocate more for defense, specifically advocating for a spending level of 2.5% or 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The official NATO target for military spending is currently 2%.

Rutte and Rinkēvičs observed an exercise by the NATO multinational brigade stationed in Latvia, which trained together at full strength for the first time. Around 3,500 soldiers from 13 NATO countries participated in the Resolute Warrior exercise. Latvia borders Russia and Moscow’s close ally, Belarus, to the east.

“Only the Ukrainian government can decide whether to start talks with Russia and how this war will end. However, this must be done from a position of strength,” said the NATO Secretary General during a joint press conference with the Latvian president.

“For this very reason, it is essential to continue delivering defense aid to Ukraine so that they can negotiate from a position of strength when making such a decision,” added Rutte.

The NATO Secretary General also commented on Ukraine’s prospects for joining the alliance. “This is an irreversible path towards Ukraine’s integration into NATO. We are building a ‘bridge’ with a €40 billion fund, the establishment of a command center in Wiesbaden, and various bilateral agreements between Allies and Ukraine. All these contribute to Ukraine’s future in NATO,” he emphasized.