NATO Secretary General: Putin has no right to decide who can join Alliance
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
The Russian leader Vladimir Putin has neither veto power nor a voice in deciding who will join NATO, Secretary General Mark Rutte reports during the press conference in Davos.
"We must clearly understand that Vladimir Putin has no veto power and no say over who will join NATO in the future. Unless, of course, he himself wants to join NATO, but I don't think he wants that," NATO Secretary General stated.
Rutte added that Ukraine's full NATO membership is the best guarantee of lasting peace.
"Whatever the outcome, it must be clear that peace is sustainable... When they (negotiations - ed.) end, we must be confident that the peace we collectively supported will be enduring and will never be questioned again," NATO Secretary General emphasized.
Rutte also noted the importance of avoiding repeating the scenario seen with the Minsk agreements and urged the West to position Ukraine as strongly as possible before any potential negotiations with Russia.
Ukraine's NATO membership
Last October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that most NATO members support the first point of the Victory Plan - inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance. However, skepticism remains among Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and the United States. Meanwhile, Kyiv has no intention of discussing NATO membership in exchange for giving up Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
Zelenskyy also highlighted that the current US President, Donald Trump, can influence whether Ukraine joins NATO.
