NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he plans to get drunk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Swiss Alps when the war in Ukraine ends. He made the comment on the Dutch television program Pauw & De Wit, broadcast on November 6.
“We will get drunk together somewhere in the Swiss Alps. We’ll sit on a mountain peak and get blackout drunk. That’s the plan,” Rutte said in response to a question about what he would do with Zelensky after the end of the war.
According to him, the two have already discussed the idea during private conversations in Brussels. Rutte added that he would bring red wine. He said that Zelensky had spoken about his desire to spend time in the Swiss mountains once he was no longer under constant security protection and the war had ended.
Rutte: There is personal trust between us
Rutte said that he and Zelensky speak privately before official meetings between the NATO and Ukrainian delegations. The Alliance’s secretary general said that he has genuine respect for the Ukrainian president and that the two discuss the burden of the war and how they are coping with the strain.
According to Rutte, Zelensky’s sense of humor helps relieve tension during their conversations. The comment about their plans in the Alps was made in the context of a discussion about the difficulties of his work as NATO secretary general and his personal relationship with the Ukrainian president.
The war could end with a peace agreement
In a separate statement, Rutte said that the war between Russia and Ukraine was unlikely to end with a clear winner. According to him, conflicts of this kind usually end with a peace agreement that involves compromises and requires parties willing to negotiate.
NATO insists that any end to the fighting must be supported by security guarantees for Ukraine. The Alliance says that support for Kyiv must continue even after a ceasefire or the signing of a peace agreement, in order to prevent further Russian aggression.
Sources: alpha.bnr.nl, npo.nl