(21 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium – 21 May 2025
1. Wide of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Czech Republic President Petr Pavel walking on stage
2. Close of camera
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General:
“What I want from the Hague Summit is it has to be a splash. It has to project NATO at the world stage, not only being from history the most successful defense alliance ever, but also going forward and indeed, that means that we have to concentrate on three big issues. One is defense spending, the other one is making sure that our defense industrial base is able to produce what we need to have to make sure that when it comes down to the ongoing and long-term Russian threat, whether that comes down to this Chinese build-up, we know that North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia are working more and more collectively – look what is happening in Ukraine, North Korea, China and Iran – are actively supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.”
4. Wide of Rutte and Pavel on stage
5. Mid of Rutte and Pavel on stage
6. Close of cameras
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Petr Pavel, Czech Republic President:
“If the discussion in The Hague leads us to a general agreement that we need to spend up to five percent, the Czech Republic is ready to support it.”
8. Mid of cameras
9. Wide of Rutte and Pavel walking off stage
STORYLINE:
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared Wednesday he wants next month’s NATO Summit in The Hague to make a "splash".
Speaking alongside Czech Republic President Petr Pavel at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Rutte added he wants the summit to "project NATO at the world stage" as being "the most successful defense alliance" in history, while also focusing on important issues.
"One is defense spending, the other one is making sure that our defense industrial base is able to produce what we need," Rutte said.
At the same time, Rutte made reference to "the on-going and long-term Russian threat", the "Chinese build-up" and also singled out other countries like North Korea and Iran as "actively supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine".
Czech Republic President Petr Pavel said his country is ready to commit to increase defense spending.
“If the discussion in The Hague leads us to a general agreement that we need to spend up to five percent, the Czech Republic is ready to support it.” said Pavel.
AP video by Mark Carlson
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