Trump-Putin conversation "gives an impression" of starting Ukraine talks – Rutte
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a conversation with journalists says that yesterday’s call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "gives an impression" of the start of negotiations on the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Trump’s call to Putin
When asked whether he considers Trump’s call yesterday as the beginning of negotiations on the war, Rutte responded: "It gives an impression that it was a successful phone call."
At the same time, he emphasized that the West seeks peace and the strongest position for Ukraine.
"It is crucial that when the peace deal is struck, it is enduring so that Putin knows that he can never again try to capture a piece of Ukraine. No doubt, that this is also on the mind of President Trump and his team," he added.
Hegseth’s visit to Europe
According to Rutte, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who visited the Ramstein meeting yesterday, brought important announcements regarding how the Alliance should be properly managed. The Secretary-General noted that NATO needs to continue discussions to ensure Ukraine is in the best position, while European countries, in turn, must collectively increase production and investment in the defense-industrial complex.
"This Alliance is a family, as Pete Hegseth said yesterday. We are here to make sure that we have the best possible deterrence to fight any adversary. It means we need to get a good deal on Ukraine, we need to ramp up defense spending. These are clear tasks we collectively have. We will debate them. We might not always agree immediately. But in the end, we always come to common positions," Rutte explained.
Trump’s calls to Putin and Zelenskyy
Yesterday, December 12, Trump held negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and later called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During a press conference in the Oval Office, he stated that he considers the return of Ukraine to its 2014 borders unlikely.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reported that Trump seeks a swift resolution to the war. Additionally, a partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine was announced.
