NATO head addresses potential talks with Russia: What he thinks
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Getty Images)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that each allied country can do what France is doing to restore dialogue with Russia during a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Read also: Macron urges EU to reopen dialogue with Russia without pressuring Ukraine
He noted that he does not consider it necessary to advise allies but emphasized the alliance’s openness to diplomatic efforts. Rutte said that every country can do what France is doing.
"I know that they closely coordinate with other allies, with the US, with the European allies. There's complete transparency of what they are doing. I would encourage every initiative which will bring this terrible war faster to an end," Rutte stated.
The NATO chief believes that US leadership plays a key role in the current diplomatic initiatives.
"We all agree that US leadership is key. It was the American President breaking the deadlock. But I think every initiative which will bring this war to an end, and will bring this faster to an end, can be encouraged," he added.
Macron-Putin talks
French President Emmanuel Macron recently suggested the possibility of contact with Putin in the coming weeks. He did not rule out holding formal talks amid ongoing discussions on security issues and the war in Ukraine.
Later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply reacted to Macron’s statements about a potential dialogue with Putin, saying such signals are largely performative and aimed at an external audience.
Meanwhile, Macron’s chief diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne visited Moscow for confidential meetings with Russian officials.
Additionally, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently stated that the EU is always ready to hold talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, but stressed that these must not involve "parallel channels of communication".
