Mark Rutte. Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images
On Saturday, 10 May, more than 20 leaders of the so-called “coalition of the willing” called for an immediate and full 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, starting on 12 May. This was announced by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the social network X.
“This should be an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days, which will be the first step towards a just and lasting peace. But it must be backed up by ongoing, concrete support,” Rutte stressed.
During the same meeting, Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed that important progress had been made, while warning of consequences if the conditions were not met:
“If the ceasefire is not respected, there will be a wave of new sanctions, closely coordinated with the US. The ceasefire should be accompanied by a monitoring mechanism and the start of negotiations on a peace agreement,” Stubb said.
The call for a ceasefire and further steps towards peace came amid pressure on Russia and a growing international consensus on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
