Rutte Outlined a Possible Scenario for Ending the War in Ukraine — Bloomberg

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes that Russia’s war against Ukraine will most likely end with a peace agreement that will require compromises. In his view, a complete victory for either side is unlikely.

 

Journalists asked Rutte whether he considered it possible for one side to emerge victorious in the full-scale war that Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022.

The NATO Secretary General expressed doubt about such a scenario. According to him, wars of this scale usually end with diplomatic agreements that involve finding compromises between the parties.

“I don’t think that’s very likely. Wars like this always end with a peace agreement, which is often a kind of compromise,” Rutte said.

At the same time, the Alliance’s Secretary General did not specify exactly what concessions or agreements might form part of a potential peace settlement in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Rutte paid particular attention to the future security situation in Europe. In his view, even after the war in Ukraine ends, the threat of Russian aggression will remain a concern for NATO member states.

The Alliance’s leader explained that currently, a significant portion of the Russian military is engaged in combat operations on Ukrainian territory. However, once the war ends, these forces will remain at Moscow’s disposal.

“The Russian threat is not currently manifesting itself directly on our border because many of these soldiers are engaged in Ukraine. But if everything ends there, that massive army will not simply disappear,” the NATO Secretary General emphasized.

In addition, Rutte commented on the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Rutte noted that it is important for both politicians to maintain “good relations.” At the same time, he did not explain exactly how such relations might influence future negotiations to end the war.

Source: Bloomberg

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Russian army could attack a NATO member country within the next five years. This would test the alliance’s resilience.

Before meeting with an American delegation consisting of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, dictator Putin stated that Russia is allegedly ready to go to war with Europe but has no such intention.

In the event of a Russian attack on NATO members, the Alliance could launch a preemptive strike against targets on Russian territory, according to Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers it entirely possible that Russia could open a second front against another European country even before the war in Ukraine ends.