NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the alliance envisions Ukraine as a “proud sovereign state” that will flourish following a just and lasting peace, with Russian President Vladimir Putin never again attempting to attack the country.
The Secretary General highlighted that NATO is collaborating closely with the Ukrainian army to align it with NATO standards and provide training, while avoiding direct conflict between Western allies and Russia.
Rutte reaffirmed the decision made at the Washington summit that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is irreversible, though he admitted uncertainty about the specific timeline for its accession.
He referenced a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the indispensable nature of NATO by saying “if NATO did not exist, we would invent it” and affirmed the US’s strong commitment to the Alliance. Rutte acknowledged that the US has voiced concerns that European allies and Canada aren’t allocating sufficient resources to defense.
He emphasized that European allies are now significantly increasing their defense spending. Regarding the potential deployment of European peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after a peace agreement, Rutte suggested that while the Alliance as a whole is unlikely to participate, individual member states might contribute to such a mission.
When questioned about the likelihood of the war in Ukraine ending this year, Rutte expressed his inability to make predictions, wishing for the war to conclude immediately.