Rutte responds to Zelenskyy on NATO umbrella for part of Ukraine
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine needs more military assistance now. Discussions about what the peace process should look like from the allies are not a priority, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Rutte commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement about NATO's umbrella for part of Ukraine's territories to end the hot phase of the war.
According to the NATO Secretary General, Ukraine does not need additional ideas on how the peace process could look like. Rutte believes that Ukraine needs to be provided with everything it needs to take a position of strength when peace talks begin. This is what NATO allies will focus on.
“So I would say more military aid and less discussions on what a peace process could look like. You and I will – are smart enough to think of many ways how to deal with that, but we have to bring Ukraine to that position that it can start, and it can only start when they are in a position of strength,” Rutte said.
Zelenskyy's statement
In an interview with Sky News, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that to end the active stage of the war, part of Ukraine's territories should be taken under the NATO umbrella. According to the head of state, Ukraine will be able to return to the rest of the territories through diplomatic means.
At the same time, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine did not consider such a proposal because it had never been offered.
Zelenskyy also clarified that NATO's fifth article on collective security cannot be applied during a war on the entire territory of Ukraine. But he emphasized that there can be no invitation to NATO for part of Ukraine's territory.
