Rutte says Europe will pay for US weapons for Ukraine

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that Europe could take over the financing of US weapons for Ukraine and called on the United States to continue supplying them.

According to Reuters, the NATO chief said that the alliance should invest more in defence, increase defence industrial production and take on a larger share of the costs of helping Ukraine.

"On Ukraine, we need the US also to stay involved," Rutte said.

He stressed that if the new Donald Trump administration is ready to continue supplying Ukraine from its defence industry base, the bill will be paid by Europeans.

"I'm absolutely convinced of this, we have to be willing to do that," he said.

Rutte also fully supported Trump's campaign of pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

The secretary general's comments came after the US president’s statement earlier this week that the European Union should do more to support Ukraine.

It is worth noting that European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas commented on Trump's words and stressed that Europe was the largest donor.