NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte left for Washington today, where he will hold a series of meetings with senior US administration officials. The news was confirmed by NATO and the US State Department, quoted by the DPA agency, BTA reports.
During his visit, Rutte will talk with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Walz. The main topic of the talks will be efforts to end the war in Ukraine, amid the ongoing impasse in peace talks.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he was close to reaching an agreement with Russia, but noted that negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were significantly more difficult. He urged Ukraine to give up the Crimean peninsula, which Russia occupied in 2014, as well as its ambitions for NATO membership.
The next summit of NATO leaders is scheduled for June 24-25 in The Hague, where the conflict in Ukraine and the Alliance's strategic priorities are expected to be among the leading topics.