Russia has no veto over Ukraine's NATO membership, – Rutte
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russia has no veto over Ukraine’s accession to NATO, despite what is outlined in the so-called US peace plan presented to Kyiv.
This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to Politico.
As the outlet writes, the NATO Secretary General thereby rejected the proposal from Moscow and Washington regarding a peace agreement that would block Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance.
"Russia has neither a vote nor a veto over who can be a member of NATO," Rutte said in an interview with El País and the German outlet RND.
He also emphasized that the Washington Treaty, which established the Alliance, "allows any country in the Euro-Atlantic area to join,"
Politico notes that Rutte’s comments followed the US proposal to end the full-scale war with Russia, which became known last week. It contained a provision stating that NATO agrees "it will not accept Ukraine at any moment in the future."
The NATO Secretary General warned that Moscow will not stop threatening Europe’s security even if it agrees to a peace deal.
"Russia will continue to be a long-term threat for a long time," he said.
A day earlier, Mark Rutte suggested that the war in Ukraine could end by the end of the year. However, Russia will remain a major threat to Europe.
US peace plan
Regarding the US peace plan, it originally consisted of 28 points, which included a veto on Ukraine’s accession to NATO, a reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army, and territorial concessions.
The peace plan was drafted by Americans and Russians, and its conditions outraged not only Ukraine but also European partners who are likewise preparing for possible Russian aggression.
As a result, talks between representatives of the US, Europe, and Ukraine took place in Geneva in recent days. They concluded that the plan should be reduced from 28 to 19 points, removing, in particular, giving up territory to Russia and reducing the size of the Ukrainian army.
The Kremlin insists that it will not accept any conditions other than those presented to US President Donald Trump by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August.
