NATO’s Secretary General has cautioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is utilizing Ukraine as a “proving ground for experimental missiles” and displaying a “lack of interest in peace.”
Mark Rutte delivered these comments as foreign ministers from the alliance’s 32 nations convened in Brussels for a two-day discussion that will include multiple dialogues concerning Ukraine.
In a correspondence to his NATO equivalents prior to the gathering, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed that his nation will concede to nothing less than NATO membership to secure its future safety.
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This development comes as incoming US President-elect Donald Trump is anticipated to strive for a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine upon taking office on January 20.
Mr. Rutte, the previous prime minister of the Netherlands, stated in Belgium that Mr. Putin was not keen on negotiating peace and was attempting to expand his grip on more Ukrainian lands, believing he can shatter Ukraine’s determination as well as ours, yet he is mistaken.
He also commented: “Russia’s aggression shows no signs of diminishing – quite the contrary – Putin is intensifying his rhetoric and reckless behaviors.
“He is utilizing Ukraine as a testing site for experimental missiles and is deploying North Korean troops in this unlawful conflict.“
Russia’s novel weapon
The NATO leader seemed to reference a new ballistic missile, nicknamed “Oreshnik”, which was launched at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in late November.
In his correspondence, Mr. Sybiha indicated that receiving an invitation to join NATO would eliminate one of Russia’s primary justifications for conducting its conflict – specifically, the prevention of Ukraine from becoming part of the alliance.
However, NATO partners are expected to bypass Kyiv’s request for an immediate invitation at the Brussels gathering.
The aftermath of a Russian strike on Odesa. Pic: Reuters
This follows remarks by Keith Kellogg, a former general recently designated by Mr. Trump as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, who co-authored a paper earlier this year arguing for delaying NATO membership for Ukraine “for an extended period” in return for a “peace agreement with security assurances.”
Nonetheless, Ukraine has firmly maintained that it will not accept anything less than NATO membership, citing a 30-year-old agreement in which it surrendered nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from major powers that were ultimately ineffective.
‘We must avoid errors’
Displaying a copy of that accord, known as the Budapest Memorandum, upon his arrival at the NATO assembly, Mr. Sybiha asserted: “This document did not succeed in assuring Ukrainian security or transatlantic safety, hence we must refrain from (making) such errors.”
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(L-R) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha with NATO leader Mark Rutte in Brussels. Pic: AP
Increased military support for Ukraine
In the meantime, Mr. Rutte conveyed that the most pressing matter is delivering additional weaponry to Kyiv to counteract Russian forces.
He stated in Brussels: “The discussions over the next couple of days will be heavily focused on ensuring that Ukraine, whenever it opts to engage in peace negotiations, will do so from a position of strength.
“To achieve this, it is essential that further military assistance is directed toward Ukraine.”
The NATO leader expressed appreciation for the recent announcements regarding enhanced military support for Ukraine made by the United States, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, and Norway.
On Monday, the US revealed a new weaponry package for Ukraine, valued at $725 million (£570 million).
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We must ‘position Ukraine in the strongest possible stance for negotiations’
Change in Starmer’s perspective
This development coincides with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicating a transformation in his viewpoint regarding the conflict, as he affirmed Britain’s strategy to “place Ukraine in the strongest feasible position for negotiations”.
Just a month ago, both Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron were vowing to “support Ukraine unflinchingly and for as long as necessary to counter Russia’s war of aggression”.
If negotiations occur and reach a certain compromise, many analysts may conclude that this signifies an acknowledgment of Russian aggression to some degree.
Despite the anticipation that the Trump administration will advocate for peace discussions, a US-based think tank has asserted that remarks from within Russia imply Mr. Putin is unlikely to partake in anything “that leads to any outcome short of total Ukrainian surrender”.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) emphasized comments made by Kremlin affiliate Konstantin Malofeev to the Financial Times, indicating that Mr. Putin will probably dismiss any peace negotiation proposals put forward by Mr. Trump unless those proposals consider Russia’s “security interests”.
