He expressed this view in an interview with Ukrinform.

“In my book I even argue that Ukraine may become more important for European security than NATO’s Article 5 itself. That is a very serious statement. It means that Article 5 may no longer be the strong guarantee it once was. And that has enormous implications: Europe must take much greater responsibility for its own security. And it cannot do that without Ukraine. Today, Ukraine has the strongest army in Europe. That is precisely why I say that Ukraine has become so important for us as well. This is being understood more and more across Europe, although not yet sufficiently,” the diplomat said.

According to Serry, Russia’s war against Ukraine has had a significant impact on the position of former Dutch Prime Minister and current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has become one of Ukraine’s most consistent supporters.

Serry recalled that Rutte was Prime Minister when the MH17 tragedy occurred. “He himself says that MH17 changed his attitude, although in my view not immediately and not completely. Like Merkel, Macron, and others, he believed for a long time that a major war would not happen. Let us not forget that until the start of the full-scale war, the Netherlands remained an important trading partner of Russia. But the war changed him. And that must be acknowledged. It turned him into a committed supporter of Ukraine, and the Netherlands has become one of your strongest allies,” the former ambassador said.

According to Serry, Rutte, together with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, “had to push hard for the decision” to provide Ukraine with F-16 aircraft.

“Denmark and the Netherlands genuinely did much more than many other EU countries,” he said.

“As for his current role as NATO Secretary General, frankly, I do not envy him. If the present rift between America and Europe continues to deepen, the question arises of what NATO will actually mean in the future. The Alliance will inevitably have to become a more European organization, and that is something the Americans themselves are demanding. This is an enormous responsibility for Rutte, and I believe he is well suited for that role. At the same time, it seems to me that he has sometimes gone too far in praising Trump,” the former ambassador noted.

Read also:War in Ukraine most likely to end with ceasefire, not peace – Dutch diplomat

As reported by Ukrinform, on August 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte the supply of interceptor missiles to Ukraine to strengthen its air defense and coordinated further steps with partners to accelerate the relevant decisions.

Photo by: Iryna Drabok