The North Atlantic Alliance must supported Ukraine in ending the war started by Russia by encouraging negotiations from a position of strength. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a joint press conference with the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevičs, reports UNIAN, quoted by Focus.
According to Rutte, only Kiev can decide when and whether to start negotiations with Russia to end the conflict. However, NATO must continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine so that it can negotiate with an advantage and confidence.
„Only the government of Ukraine can decide whether and how to negotiate with Russia to end the war. But to succeed, they must negotiate from a position of strength. It is therefore essential that we continue to support Ukrainian defense so that Kiev is in a strong position when it makes this decision,” Rütte emphasized.
The NATO Secretary General also reiterated that Kiev's path to membership in the alliance is irreversible:
„We are building a ‘bridge’ with the provision of 40 billion euros, with the establishment of the command in Wiesbaden and with all the bilateral security agreements that the allies conclude with Ukraine. All this is a contribution to Ukraine's future in NATO, he said.