NATO allies will continue supporting Ukraine despite the escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, Secretary General Mark Rutte told Reuters on Thursday.
“Many leaders in Europe, the United States, and Canada say it has to be ‘and, and’: enable what the Americans are doing in the Middle East and at the same time make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay strong in the fight,” Rutte said.
Turkey Missile Incident Intercepted
The comments come after NATO air defenses destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile heading toward Turkish airspace, marking the first time Turkey has been drawn directly into the Middle East conflict. Despite the incident, Rutte told Reuters that there is no immediate need to invoke NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, which considers an attack on one member as an attack on all.
“Nobody’s talking about Article 5,” he said. “The most important thing is that our adversaries have seen that NATO is strong and vigilant, even more vigilant than before.”
Turkey confirmed the missile was intercepted by NATO systems, with debris falling in the country’s southeast. Iran denied firing missiles at Turkey, stating it respects the sovereignty of the “friendly” nation.
NATO’s Role in the Middle East Conflict
Rutte emphasized that NATO is not directly involved in the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran but is providing “key enabling support.” He called NATO a “power projection platform” for the United States, noting that the campaign would have been far more difficult without European allies.
On Iran, Rutte backed U.S. efforts to neutralize nuclear and missile capabilities, citing the country’s potential threat to Europe and Israel. “Iran was close to getting its hands on a nuclear and missile capability,” he said. “We support the president in taking out that capability.”
Vigilance and Dual Strategy
As the conflict enters its sixth day, Rutte said the alliance remains vigilant and committed to maintaining security in Europe while continuing to back Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
“This is a serious situation, but NATO is not itself involved. Our focus is to ensure Iran no longer poses a threat while continuing to support our partners,” he added.
