Secretary general says NATO not part of Ukraine peace discussions
(MENAFN) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has clarified that the alliance is not participating in the current ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which are being mediated by the United States. In an interview with New Voice of Ukraine published Saturday, Rutte stated that NATO has no direct role or "red lines" in the talks and emphasized that discussions are being led by the U.S., along with Ukraine and Russia.
“I’m pleased the U.S. has helped restart these negotiations,” Rutte said, but added that NATO itself is not a party to the talks. He also ruled out the possibility of NATO deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine, although individual member nations could choose to send troops independently. However, he cautioned that such actions could affect NATO's overall defense posture.
Some NATO countries, including France, the UK, and Germany, have proposed sending peacekeepers once a ceasefire is established. Rutte addressed this, saying that any troop deployment by member states would not be under NATO's official banner.
He also clarified that Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO is not being discussed as part of the peace process. “It has never been promised that NATO membership would be part of any ceasefire or peace deal,” Rutte said, underlining that the issue remains separate from current negotiations.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that Ukraine will “never be a member of NATO,” a stance consistent with Russian demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions—a key factor Moscow cites as justification for the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also firmly opposed any NATO-member troop presence in Ukraine in any form.
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