NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that negotiations remain the only way to end the war in Ukraine, but according to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet shown readiness to stop the fighting. Rutte spoke at a forum in Brussels dedicated to defense and space, BTA reports.
According to him, US President Donald Trump has made “significant progress“ in trying to find a diplomatic solution. Rutte, however, did not commit to a deadline for a possible ceasefire. “I do not know if it will be this winter”, he pointed out, adding that in his opinion, the necessary will is not visible in Moscow.
Rutte stressed that NATO remains a defensive alliance and rejected Russian warnings about the possible use of nuclear weapons. He called on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine and said that nuclear rhetoric does not contribute to security.
The NATO Secretary General said that Russia is not capable of achieving victory against NATO and that allies must continue to invest in defense. He cited as an example his estimate that about 43,000 Russian servicemen per month are killed or seriously injured on the Ukrainian front. Rutte also noted that Ukraine continues to hold the front line and strike targets deep inside Russian territory. These are the NATO Secretary General's estimates, not independently verified data on Russian losses.
According to Rutte, Russian hybrid actions, including sabotage and other operations in Europe, are aimed at dividing allies and diverting their attention from Ukraine. He assured that NATO has response plans and is ready to defend “every centimeter“ from the territory of the member states.
At the same time, Rutte said that there is currently no immediate threat to NATO countries, but the Alliance is prepared to react if the situation changes.
The Secretary General also commented on the American military operation against Iran. According to him, it was the United States that had the necessary capabilities to strike at the Iranian nuclear program. Rutte said that the European allies provided the infrastructure for the American operations, with between 4,000 and 5,000 flights being carried out from European bases as part of Operation “Epic Fury“. NATO officially emphasizes that these actions were outside the framework of the Alliance itself and were based on bilateral agreements between the United States and individual European countries.
Rutte defined the Iranian nuclear program as an issue of importance for the security not only of the Middle East, but also of Europe. He noted that NATO continues to maintain the position that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons.