The NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed his belief in the success of U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to achieve a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He noted that regardless of Europe's significant role in security guarantees, support from the U.S. is indispensable. TSN reports. This information is provided by Kontrakty.UA.
Rutte shared this perspective during a discussion with students at Comenius University in Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, on Thursday, February 20.
"I am optimistic about President Trump's initiative. Of course, it is still in the early stages, but I think it is crucial that he has initiated this peace effort now," Rutte stated.
He explained that despite the U.S. reluctance to participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, the American government generally supports the idea of peacekeepers, and within NATO, there is "a truly broad consensus" on providing Ukraine with strong security guarantees following the signing of a peace agreement.
"I know that countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and France are considering what their roles could be. Therefore, we had a meeting in Paris on Monday, followed by another meeting yesterday. I believe there will be more meetings to coordinate European support for the peace agreement in Ukraine," the NATO Secretary General remarked.
He pointed out that European leaders have reached a consensus that they need U.S. assistance in organizing a peacekeeping mission.
"Strong security guarantees, if provided by European countries, require support from the U.S. Whether through American soldiers or overall support, it is essential to ensure that deterrence is present and that the U.S. offers certain capabilities," Rutte emphasized.
He also expressed optimism regarding a more active European stance on assisting Ukraine. According to the NATO Secretary General, he "is in constant contact with all senior leaders in the U.S." and "a lot is happening" to reinforce the peace agreement with reliable security guarantees.
"Last week in Munich at the security conference, many Europeans complained and expressed frustration at not being involved and not being at the negotiating table. But fortunately, they have now started to coordinate among themselves. This is important," the NATO Secretary General added.
It is worth noting that Rutte stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "absolutely unpredictable", thus, his personal presence at the negotiations is necessary to reach an agreement to end the war against Ukraine.