Nato chief: Allies to enhance Nato’s fuel supply chain in 27 billion euro investment

Nato Allies are taking a historic step to enhance Nato’s fuel supply chain in a 27 billion euro investment, to ensure its forces have the energy supplies they need for warfighting readiness, the Alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte told a news conference at the close of the July 7 – 8 Summit in Ankara.

“While Allies continue to finalise the details, we know that this 27 billion euro investment will modernise our existing fuel storage and distribution infrastructure, and support new facilities, including pipelines, towards the eastern part of the Alliance,” Rutte said.

“We are also ensuring that we are using technology to our advantage, including through the adoption of powerful AI models and the development of an interoperable transatlantic warfighting cloud,” he said.

According to Rutte, the Nato Summit in Ankara was successful, with a “great sense of unity”.

“Allies warmly welcomed President Trump’s leadership that is transforming this Alliance and making it stronger,” Rutte said.

“Industry is expanding production. And European allies and Canada are assuming great responsibility for our shared security. Together, these are the foundations for a stronger, a fairer, and a more capable Nato,” he said.

Rutte said that Allies reviewed the significant progress already made towards investing five per cent of GDP in defence by 2035, already measuring four per cent just one year into a 10-year project.

“So the momentum is clear. Allies continue to increase both core defence spending and broader investment that strengthen our security,” Rutte said.

He said that the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum demonstrated the determination of governments and industry to work together with greater speed and ambition.

“And the numbers are staggering, including over $50 billion in new procurement deals in just one day,” Rutte said.

“We also launched a new major initiative, Nato’s Drone Edge, which will see $40 billion invested by Allies in uncrewed systems over the next five years. And big deals with US and European industries, including Triton from Northrop Grumman and our new ABEX from Saab.”

Allies also reaffirmed Nato’s unwavering support for Ukraine, he said.

“As Russia continues its war, we will continue to ensure Ukraine gets what it needs,” Rutte said

He said that allies pledged to provide at least 70 billion euro in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukraine this year and again next year, “as we continue to press for peace”.

“As Ukraine shifts the dynamics on the battlefield, our support must continue. This summit has shown that the Alliance is stronger than ever.”

The July 8 Summit was partly marred by ranting by US president Donald Trump against Nato Allies.

Trump hit out at Allies that, he said, “didn’t want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terrorism, that’s Iran”.

“I’m very upset with Nato, that we pay far, far too much…billions and billions of dollars, too much, because it’s unfair, because we’re protecting them, so we protect them, but they’re not there for us”.

Trump again raised his ambitions towards Greenland, saying that it was “very important for the United States” and claiming baselessly that “it’s not important for Denmark”.

Asked about Trump’s statements, Rutte, as he frequently has done, said that long-standing US complaints about burden-sharing in Nato’s finances were justified.

“I can only tell you that what I saw in the room with 32 leaders sitting together was a huge sense of unity. I’ve not seen this in recent history,” Rutte said.

“And this is what I always believe Nato is all about, that yes, you will have your forceful debates.

“Sometimes people will argue at the top of their lungs, their points of view, and others will answer. And I’m never worried about that, because in the end, we are an alliance of democracies. It makes us stronger,” he said.

“It not only makes us stronger, in the end, we also come together. Today is evidence of that. And I always know that President Trump and the US is completely committed to Nato,” Rutte said.

Asked about Trump’s statements about Greenland, Rutte said that what he and Trump had agreed in Davos in January “is, first of all, for when it comes to the defence of the Arctic, he absolutely was right, because there is a huge risk that Russia and China will gain more and more access to the Arctic”.

“And the discussion we had and the deal we made is for Nato, particularly the seven countries bordering on the Arctic, including, of course, the US through NORSCOM and NORAD. So that means Canada with NORAD. And then, of course, the five European allies, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway, working together, backed up by all the other allies, making sure that the Arctic stays safe,” Rutte said.

(Photo: Nato)