Mark Rutte says strike on passenger train is evidence of "how desperate Putin has become"

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance possesses the tools to counter Russian hybrid tactics but will keep some undisclosed. He warned that Moscow’s conduct in Ukraine is growing more dangerous, including attacks on civilian sites near NATO’s borders, and pointed to Sunday’s strike on a passenger train as evidence of Putin’s state of mind. Rutte said Putin is mistaken if he thinks he can halt allied support for Kyiv or divide NATO, and said the response will be more aid for Ukraine. Janša said Slovenia, which has not met the earlier 2% defense spending benchmark, will reach NATO’s newer 3.5% goal this year through added budget funding. Rutte defended that target as based on military planning.