Rute: Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced today that Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation, the BBC reports.

In his opening remarks at a roundtable in Brussels, attended by foreign ministers of NATO member states, Rutte said that Russia "continues to test our deterrence capabilities" and that "we face real and ongoing dangers."

Rutte also said that Russia has violated the airspace of NATO member states with aircraft and drones, carried out sabotage and sent spy ships into their waters.

"These actions are reckless and dangerous," he adds.

Rutte also said that Russia is "working closely" with China, North Korea and Iran "to disrupt our societies and tear up global rules", and is "preparing for a long-term confrontation".

Rutte also stated that NATO countries are "increasing their defense investments, but we all have to bear our share of the burden."

He adds that Ukraine "needs our support more than ever" as winter approaches and Russian attacks continue.

The BBC reports that the roundtable meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member states is expected to discuss ongoing peace negotiations, as well as defense issues.

Reuters reported that Rutte said today that it is good that peace negotiations are underway to end the war in Ukraine, but that it is necessary to ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.

Five-hour talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's chief negotiators in Moscow yesterday appear to have failed to produce a breakthrough in reaching a peace agreement for Ukraine.

A Kremlin spokesman said the meeting in Moscow was "constructive" but that parts of the plan remained unacceptable to Russia.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner participated in the talks with Putin after weeks of intense diplomacy aimed at ending the war.

The American team did not comment on the talks after leaving Moscow.

Putin warned Europe yesterday that it would suffer a swift defeat if it went to war with Russia, and rejected European proposals on Ukraine just ahead of a meeting in the Kremlin yesterday with two of Donald Trump's most influential envoys.

"If Europe suddenly wants to start a war with us and it does," Putin said yesterday, "then it would be over for Europe so quickly that there would be no one in Europe to negotiate."