Riga, 14 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on alliance members and other Western partners to provide more support for Ukraine as cold weather looms.

Speaking after a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs at the Adazi military base on Thursday, Rutte warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin "will use winter as a weapon."

Rutte said Russia would try to destroy Ukraine's energy supply system: "That is why we must all increase our support for Ukraine, including air defence to protect critical infrastructure."

In order to strengthen their own defence capabilities, NATO members would have to increase their defence spending and boost arms production, Rutte said. Rinkēvičs also called on NATO partners to spend more on defence, specifically advocating a figure of 2.5 or 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). The official NATO target for military spending is currently 2%.

Rutte and Rinkēvičs watched a manoeuvre of the multinational NATO brigade stationed in Latvia, which was training together at full strength for the first time. Some 3,500 soldiers from 13 NATO countries took part in the Resolute Warrior exercise. Latvia shares a border with Russia and its close ally Belarus to the east.

MIA file photo