NATO: Putin shows no willingness to engage in a peace agreement with Ukraine
Agencies3 min read
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not currently appear willing to engage in a peace agreement regarding Ukraine, while affirming at the same time that the over-reliance of 600 million Europeans on the United States for their defense is "unsustainable" and that Europe must take greater responsibility for its defense.
Rutte explained, during a dialogue with "Euronews" at the Defense and Space Summit in Brussels, that the entire European leadership supports efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but he said that reaching an agreement requires the willingness of both parties, adding that Putin "does not yet" appear willing to engage in a peace agreement.
He added that he does not know if an agreement can be reached before winter, noting that wars end with peace agreements and that reaching them requires negotiators and someone with the necessary influence to advance the process.
Rutte considered that US President Donald Trump is the only one capable of breaking the deadlock with Putin, indicating that he started the dialogue and sent a number of his senior advisors to work with the Russians and Ukrainians to end the war, although these efforts have not been successful to date.
He stressed the need to keep Ukraine in the strongest possible position to enter peace talks, through joint efforts by the United States, Canada, and European countries, leading to a result that ensures Ukraine remains a sovereign state capable of defending itself and continuing as an independent country.
Regarding Europe's security, Rutte said that Europe is one of the richest regions in the world, but it relies too heavily on a country with a population of 340 million people located at a distance to defend it against Russia, which has a population of 140 million people, referring to Europe's reliance on the United States.
He added that this situation is what is currently being worked on changing through increased European defense spending, affirming that Europe needs to spend more to be able to defend itself against Russia.
Rutte, on the other hand, confirmed that the United States will remain engaged in Europe's security, not only through the nuclear umbrella but also in the conventional military field, with Europeans bearing much greater responsibility for defending the European part of NATO.
He described Russia as the long-term threat to the alliance at present, affirming that the increase in European defense responsibility aims to build a "stronger Europe within a stronger NATO", preventing the United States from having to distribute its resources too widely.
