NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that the Alliance has plans for future peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, but does not want to disclose their details. Rutte stressed that the main goal is to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not attempt to take over Ukraine again.
In an interview with the German newspaper Bild published on Saturday, Rutte said that it is necessary to make sure that Putin cannot seize a single square kilometre of Ukrainian territory. “The most important thing now is to support Kyiv with weapons and training for Ukrainian soldiers,” the NATO Secretary General added.
Rutte also continued to talk about future peace talks, noting that if Ukraine decides to seek peace, it will have to bring Putin to the table. However, he declined to provide details, explaining that he wanted to keep some ideas secret, but stressed that the end goal was clear: “Putin will not try it again,” Rutte said.
Rutte also answered questions about the progress of the war and Russia’s progress in Donbas. He noted that although the frontline is moving in the wrong direction, Russia is paying a heavy price, with 1,000 to 1,500 killed or wounded every day. However, Rutte stressed that Russia is not achieving its goals, and NATO must do everything possible to ensure that these goals remain unattainable. “Ukraine will not lose, and we must help it to be in a strong position,” he concluded.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that his team was already in “very serious” talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.
