NATO must help Ukraine end war through negotiations, but from position of strength – Rutte

Only Ukraine can decide when and how to start negotiations with Russia to end the war, but NATO allies must continue to provide Ukraine with strong support so it can negotiate from a position of strength.

This was stated today by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a joint press conference with President of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs at the Ādaži training ground in Latvia, as reported by an Ukrinform correspondent.

"It is only the Ukrainian government which can decide to start talks with Russia on how to end this war. But they [the Ukrainians] have to do this from a position of strength. That is why we need to continue to deliver defense aid into Ukraine to make sure they will be in a position of strength when the day comes," said the NATO Secretary General.

In response to journalists' questions about the feasibility of inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance under current circumstances, Mark Rutte reiterated that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is irreversible.

"We have made it clear in NATO that their [the Ukrainians’] future will be in NATO. That is the decision we repeated again at the NATO summit in Washington – the irreversible path towards NATO membership for Ukraine. We are building the 'bridge' – by the 40 billion euros pledge, by the Command we are setting up in Wiesbaden, by all the bilateral security agreements many allies have now made with Ukraine – this is building the ‘bridge towards future NATO membership for Ukraine," Mark Rutte emphasized.

As reported by Ukrinform, during a media briefing with Polish government head Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that the joint support of allies for Ukraine in the coming winter and beyond will be of "crucial importance."