U.S. Ambassador to NATO Emphasizes the Alliance’s Defensive Nature
The U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, clarified the United States’ position, stating that “NATO is a defensive alliance.” He emphasized, “We in the alliance do not attack others; rather, we defend our alliance and every inch of its territory.”
On the other hand, statements made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (noted as Maria Rutte in the source text) faced criticism from prominent European leaders and officials. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed doubts about her remaining in her position after these remarks, considering them “concerning” and contradictory to what the Americans are saying regarding a settlement in Ukraine. Similarly, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó described the words as “fueling tensions and undermining peace talks.”
Retired Belgian Colonel Roger Hausen linked the statements to the position of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the issue of frozen Russian assets.
Meanwhile, German foreign policy expert Sevim Dağdelen described the talk about the necessity of preparing for a “large-scale war like the one witnessed by their ancestors” as a “dangerous statement that distorts history,” labeling the words as “very dangerous madness.”
Notably, these statements came at a time when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia has no aggressive plans against NATO or EU countries and confirmed its readiness to provide written guarantees in this regard.
The controversy occurs within the context of discussions inside NATO regarding readiness levels and defense spending amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and escalating hardline rhetoric from some Western leaders. While Washington and several European capitals seek to portray the alliance as a purely defensive entity in an attempt to calm fears and avoid escalating tensions with Moscow.
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