NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed “cautious optimism” regarding the dialogue between the United States and Ukraine during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 6 March.
When asked about the impact of the US support suspension on NATO’s operations and alliance coherence, Rutte emphasized the importance of continued support for Ukraine.
“It is important that Ukraine is in a position of strength, particularly when the peace talks, in whatever form they will take place, when they start. So the support has to continue,” Rutte stated at the press conference.
The NATO chief welcomed ongoing discussions between Washington and Kyiv aimed at resolving difficulties stemming from Trump-Zelenskyy row last week.
“The United States and Ukraine, as we speak, are discussing how to go forward with this and how to solve some of the difficulties there are based on the letter, the tweet, and then the follow-up letter from President Zelenskyy of Tuesday this week,” Rutte said.
Rutte declined to speculate on hypothetical scenarios, stating,
“It’s better not to comment on what ifs because it’s my assumption, again, cautiously optimistic that things can move forward in a positive sense.”
When questioned by Euronews about how NATO could leverage President Duda’s good relationships with both Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy, Rutte acknowledged the value of experienced European leaders who can communicate effectively with their American counterparts.
“It’s good that we have experienced leaders in Europe who can liaise easily with our colleagues on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in this case with President Trump,” Rutte remarked, noting that Duda had recently visited Washington and that he himself had spoken with President Trump the previous week.
For his part, President Duda called on Kyiv and Washington to reach an agreement on the Trump-proposed mineral deal, suggesting it would make Ukraine “a strategic place for the United
States.“
“We call for creating conditions that will allow for rebuilding Ukraine and preserving peace. For this, we need transatlantic cooperation,” the Polish president stated.
Duda added:
“I hope that the impasse in relations between the leaders of the US and Ukraine will be resolved. I have repeatedly called on Volodymyr Zelenskyy to restore these relations. We believe that we need to seek understanding.“
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