NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte mentioned Thursday that the “ball is clearly in the Russian court” concerning a Ukraine ceasefire.
“There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really playing ball, and I think the ball is clearly in the Russian court now,” Rutte advised reporters.
His remarks got here after his assembly with US President Donald Trump on the White House.
Rutte is in Washington, DC to satisfy with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
Asked whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin needs peace, Rutte mentioned: “I don’t know. I worked with him for four years between 2010 and 2014 when I was prime minister in the Netherlands and I’ve stopped trying to read his mind.”
“What I’m seeing here is a United States and a leader in President Trump who was the first to break the deadlock,” he added.
On a potential US pullout from the Russia-Ukraine talks, Rutte referred to Wednesday’s Ukraine talks in London.
“I feel while you take a look at the result of the assembly yesterday in London, we might be fairly optimistic on the place we’re. So I’m not seeing a state of affairs the place the US is strolling.
“I’m seeing a situation that under President Trump’s leadership could bring this to a positive end,” he added.
On the US probably reducing its navy presence in Europe, Rutte mentioned there’s a “total commitment” of the US to NATO.
For the upcoming NATO summit within the Hague, the secretary normal mentioned “we are all really excited” about elevated spending and equity.
“This is really a NATO which is stronger, which is fair, which is also more lethal in terms of being able to defend NATO territory,” he added.
The US has been urging its NATO allies to lift protection spending to five% of their respective GDPs.
Source: www.anews.com.tr