Mark Rutte says of NATO preparations for Russian hybrid ops: "not all of them will be made public"

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in Brussels on Monday that the alliance has sufficient tools to counter Russian hybrid operations, while keeping some preparations confidential. Appearing with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, Rutte warned that Moscow's actions in Ukraine were growing more dangerous and cited a Sunday strike on a passenger train as evidence Vladimir Putin was acting out of desperation. Rutte said Putin mistakenly expects to discourage allied backing for Kyiv and fracture NATO, and that the alliance would instead expand assistance for Ukraine's defense while maintaining its commitment to collective security. Janša said Slovenia, which has not met the earlier 2% GDP defense benchmark, would reach the newer 3.5% target this year after a supplementary budget. Rutte defended that target as grounded in NATO's capability planning, covering conventional forces and emerging technologies.