United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump is the only one who can bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table when it comes to the war in Ukraine, and the only one who can ultimately force him to conclude a peace agreement, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on December 28th.
“He fully understands the threat posed by Russia and wants to end this war. And that means there must be compromises. That is always the case with a peace agreement. And Trump fully agrees that we need these security guarantees as part of a peace agreement. Trump is the only one who can hold this alliance together,” Rutte said in an interview.
According to Rutte, it is crucial to ensure that Ukraine is never attacked again after a ceasefire or a peace agreement.
“There are three levels. The first level is the Ukrainian armed forces. They must be in excellent condition. They are now doing an outstanding job in this war, but they must be able to protect the country even after the war or a long-term ceasefire. The second level is the coalition of the willing, led by France and the United Kingdom(UK), with the participation of Germany and other countries. This coalition will provide everything that is needed, in addition to the Ukrainian armed forces, to ensure that Putin does not dare to attack again. And the third level is the U.S.,” Rutte said, stressing that work is currently underway to connect these three levels in a way that would prevent Putin from deciding to attack Ukraine again.
As he assessed, these would be truly strong security guarantees.
When asked by journalists whether the U.S. remains a friend of Europe under Trump, Rutte responded affirmatively, saying that the U.S. has clearly made it known that it will remain committed to Europe, both in nuclear and conventional terms.
“Withdrawal from Europe is not a topic of discussion,” Rutte said.
Rutte said that Russia has made little progress on the battlefield this year, stating that Russia is losing more than 20.000 people per month, and that up to 1.1 million Ukrainians have been killed so far.
Asked whether some countries should send troops to Ukraine if Putin attacks again after a ceasefire, Rutte noted that certain countries have signaled that they would be ready to contribute when it comes to troops.
“Work is currently underway on the precise design of this coalition of the willing. I must say that Trump is absolutely committed to this issue. He is fully focused on ending this war. He wants to end the war in Ukraine,” Rutte said.
