NATO Chief Rutte Holds Talks with European Leaders on Future of Ukraine Conflict
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World
December 18, 2024 21:30
brussels - NATO Chief Mark Rutte is meeting with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to discuss the future of the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting comes ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte is holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to address the future of the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting, taking place in Brussels, prioritizes providing more assistance to Kiev to prepare for potential peace talks. Zelensky has previously mentioned 2025 as a year of peace, while the European leaders are already planning for the post-deal period.
Rutte emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine to be in the best possible position when deciding to start peace talks. The economic recovery of Ukraine post-war is also on the agenda. Zelensky views the meeting as an opportunity to discuss security guarantees.
The participants at the meeting include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish leader Donald Tusk, and EU figures Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy are also in attendance.
Discussions about potentially sending troops to Ukraine to maintain a ceasefire at the border with Russian-occupied territories are ongoing in European capitals. This sensitive issue is likely to be addressed during the mini-summit.
Recently, the Dutch government openly talked about negotiations with Russia, stressing the importance of European involvement in discussions about European security architecture to prevent unilateral decisions by Trump and Putin.
It remains uncertain whether the leaders present at Rutte's meeting will divulge details of their discussions. Rutte has previously cautioned against discussing peace agreements publicly to avoid negotiating without involving Vladimir Putin.