Rutte hopes for positive outcome of negotiation process on peace plan for Ukraine
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte hopes that the negotiation process on a peace plan for Ukraine will produce results, but if not, then do everything possible so that Ukraine can continue to confront Russian aggression.
"The peace talks are ongoing, that's good, but at the same time we have to make sure that while they are ongoing, and we are not sure when they will end, Ukraine has the strongest possible position to continue the fight, to confront the Russians, but also the strongest possible position when the peace talks really reach a point where they sit down at the negotiating table," Rutte said on Wednesday in Brussels before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
He did not comment on Vladimir Putin's latest statements about war with Europe. "I'm not going to react to everything Putin says. We saw him in military uniform, dressed like a soldier at the front, but not on the front line, he was quite far from the front the day before yesterday, so I'm not going to react to everything," Rutte said.
Commenting on the request of journalists on yesterday's talks in Moscow between Putin and American representatives, the Secretary General again noted that he was "very glad that the US president broke the deadlock in the negotiations with Putin, started this whole peace process." "Only the US, under the leadership of President Trump, was able to do this, but I don't want to comment on every step, so last night was of course important, there will be more steps, but you won't hear me commenting on every intermediate step," Rutte added.
The Secretary General stated that "the process is ongoing." "We had successful meetings in Geneva and Miami between the American and Ukrainian teams, there was a meeting in Moscow last night, again, I'm not going to comment on every step along the way. It's important that the peace process continues. I hope it will lead to results, and if it takes too long or doesn't lead to results, the best way to put pressure on the Russians is to do two things: first, to make sure that the Russians understand that the flow of weapons to Ukraine will continue, which is what is happening today thanks to the United States, thanks to the Europeans... and second, to make sure that the economic sanctions are effective, that they are effective," he said. The journalists asked him again about the latest corruption scandal in Ukraine, to which Rutte said: "I have already commented on this before. Of course, when there is corruption, it is important that Ukrainians fight it, and they are fighting it, I think the Ukrainian president is taking all the necessary measures to eradicate corruption."
