We must prepare for war. That is the best way to avoid it,” Rutte said in an interview with Bild. According to him, Europe must “not show weakness” toward Russia. Rutte noted that the threat does not come from Russia alone,

NATO has been ramping up its forces along its eastern flank with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, deploying thousands of troops and equipment to deter Moscow from expanding its war into the territory of any of the organization’s 32 member countries.

President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict.