"It is unlikely that Ukraine will regain control over its entire territory," said Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that a complete victory by either side in the war between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely. He expects the war to end through diplomatic negotiations.
Mark Rutte made this statement during an appearance on the Dutch television program Pauw & De Wit.
Rutte on Ending the War and the Role of the U.S.
We can hope that this war will end, but it is unlikely that Ukraine will regain all of its territory. What Ukraine is willing to agree to in a settlement is up to Ukraine to decide, and only Zelenskyy and his government can decide this on behalf of the Ukrainian people. But wars like this always end with a peace agreement. And that often involves compromise,
Mark Rutte emphasized.
He also noted that he holds weekly conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is impressed by him. At the same time, the alliance’s leader added that he considers the working relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to be important.
Rutte cautioned that even despite the concentration of Russian forces in Ukraine, Russia will still have a large army once hostilities end. At the same time, he confirmed that the United States remains vital to the defense of the European continent.
The Secretary-General declined to comment on the agreements between Trump and Putin regarding imports of Russian diesel fuel. He merely added that he had previously warned Zelenskyy about the indispensability of military aid for Ukraine, specifically from Washington.
In addition, Mark Rutte noted that he had sent Trump a brief message of encouragement following the Republicans’ defeat in the November 3 midterm elections, saying, “Don’t lose heart.”
For his part, Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes that the results of the congressional elections will bring Ukraine more support and Washington’s close cooperation with Europe will force the Kremlin to reconsider its future plans in the war.