NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reaffirmed the alliance’s unwavering support for Ukraine during his recent visit to Kyiv, emphasizing that this assistance is not only steadfast but also expanding.
In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rutte announced plans for NATO funding aimed at sustaining a critical flow of lethal US weapons to Ukraine.
This statement comes on the heels of a multilateral meeting at the White House held on Monday, during which President Donald Trump reiterated the United States’ commitment to security guarantees for Ukraine.
Rutte underscored the collaborative efforts between Ukraine, Europe, and the United States to establish comprehensive security measures that deter Russian aggression.
“We are now working together — Ukraine, the Europeans, the United States — to ensure that these security guarantees are of such a level that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin sitting in Moscow will never try to attack Ukraine again,” he stated at a press conference.
The proposed security guarantees will feature two main components: fortifying Ukraine’s military capabilities and enlisting commitments from the US and European allies designed to deter any future aggression from Russia.
While discussions are underway regarding the potential deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine as part of these security guarantees, Rutte noted that it remains premature to determine specific contributions from different nations, including intelligence support and maritime or aerial presence.
In parallel, Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine’s urgent need for security guarantees to protect future generations from any potential Russian aggression.
“Ukraine needs security guarantees so that we, our children, and grandchildren can be certain that Russia will not attack us. These are guarantees of security against an aggressor,” he stressed.
The prospect of a meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a topic of discussion following President Trump’s recent engagements with both leaders.
While Zelenskyy has consistently stated his readiness to meet with Putin, the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed these overtures.
The White House is currently working on logistics for a potential summit, but Moscow has made it clear that a meeting is not expected in the immediate future.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated this sentiment, stating that no meeting is planned between Putin and Zelenskyy despite Trump’s efforts to facilitate dialogue.
“Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda is ready for a summit, and this agenda is not ready at all,” Lavrov told NBC News, reinforcing a long-standing position from the Kremlin.
At a joint press conference in Kyiv, President Zelenskyy voiced frustration regarding Russia’s lack of progress towards a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict.
He claimed that Moscow is obstructing any attempts for a high-level meeting among leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia.
Zelenskyy pointed out, “The question of ending the war must be resolved at the leadership level, but we can see now that the Russians are doing everything to prevent a meeting.”
He also expressed Ukraine’s willingness to engage in productive dialogue, urging international partners to apply pressure on Russia to facilitate discussions.
“Everything must be done so that Russia can no longer avoid the meeting. They must be forced into diplomacy; truly strong sanctions are needed if they do not agree to a diplomatic resolution of this war,” Zelenskyy stated, emphasizing the need for robust sanctions from allies if Russia remains resistant to peace talks.
image source from：euronews
