NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that Ukraine was not in a strong enough position to begin negotiations to end the war with Russia, saying that any deal reached would not “get Russia what it wants”. “We must prevent this from happening,” he said.
In an interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, Rutte emphasized the importance of reaching a favorable deal for Ukraine, saying it would set a precedent for countries with similar goals as Russia.
“The whole world is watching to see what kind of agreement will be reached between Russia and Ukraine, so I think it is extremely important that we reach a good agreement,” Rutte said.
“We have to make sure that Ukraine is in a stronger position than it is now,” Rutte added. “That would result in a deal that would not be favorable for Russia, and by extension China, North Korea, and North Korea” because all of them are watching: Iran. ”
Rutte pointed to Chinese President Xi Jinping as the person who will be keeping a close eye on the power relationships arising from any negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
“I think it will be very interesting to see who gets through this,” Rutte said of Xi. “And if it's Russia, that's going to be a long-term threat. So we have to make sure that Ukraine is in a position to start negotiations. And obviously, we're going to do that step by step. President Putin will also participate.”
Rutte said in an interview that he is aligned with President-elect Trump, who during the campaign said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war before taking office. He spoke with President Trump last Friday and praised him for urging NATO to increase defense spending, saying Trump was “right to do so.”
Prime Minister Rutte dodged a question about whether he was prepared to bring Putin to the negotiating table or whether he expected Trump to do so, saying instead that Ukraine would be in a stronger position to begin negotiations. He said it would be a collective effort.
“We have to allow Ukrainians to discuss their country's future from this position of strength. For that to happen, we need Ukraine to be at the table,” Rutte said. “But they only do it if they feel they can get something out of it.”
Regarding Ukraine, he added: “They're really at a disadvantage at the moment.”
Rutte said he was confident that he and the Trump administration could persuade Putin to negotiate.
“We will be able to get President Putin to the table, because ultimately he feels that it is in his interest not to continue the fighting,” he said.
Rutte ruled out sending NATO troops to the region because Russia has support from allied armed groups.
“We don't want to directly confront our allies who are parties to the conflict. I don't think it's wise,” Rutte continued. “What you have to do is make sure that the Ukrainians move forward in this fight. In other words, we give them the weapons they need to be in a strong position every time a negotiation begins. I have to.”
“But obviously we have to make sure that the agreement that is concluded is a good agreement and that we do not give in to Iran, China, North Korea or Russia,” Rutte added. “Preventing that from happening is critical to the future of all of us.”
