NATO chief to meet with Trump for talks on Ukraine - WP
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Getty Images)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to the United States to discuss with Donald Trump the strategy for peace talks on Ukraine. The goal is to achieve a just peace without encouraging Russian aggression and with security guarantees for Ukraine, The Washington Post reports.
According to a senior German official, Rutte plans to convey to Trump the need to resolve the Ukrainian issue in such a way that it does not become a burden for him if he returns to the US presidency.
European leaders are united in their opinion that any successful peace agreement must prevent the conflict from recurring in the future.
At a recent meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Rutte urged his European counterparts to cooperate with Trump.
“Don’t gossip about Trump. Call him and get him on board,” he said.
Rutte also emphasized the importance of maintaining US support for Europe's security.
At the same time, Rutte called on European countries to increase defense spending, exceeding the target of 2% of GDP. He warned that Russia's possible victory in the war would lead to even higher costs to curb its influence.
“If this war ends with Russia winning, we’ll have an emboldened Russia on our border, and the cost of driving Putin back won’t be 3 percent of GDP, but 4 or 5 percent,” he says.
Trump to become president
Donald Trump will take office as president of the United States in January 2025.
The media reports that Trump plans to focus on ending the war. One possible scenario includes a freeze on hostilities and the creation of a buffer zone with the military forces of European countries.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Europe should be ready to send troops to Ukraine to support a peace agreement with Russia if Trump proposes such a plan.
