NATO Secretary General ridicules Russia’s unconvincing style of negotiations with Ukraine
In his speech at the NATO Public Forum in The Hague, Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, spoke sharply about Russia's approach to the Ukrainian settlement of hostilities. He emphasized that Moscow still does not take the negotiation process with Kyiv seriously, as evidenced, in particular, by the negligent behavior of its delegation at international forums. These words were spoken in response to numerous questions about the prospects for ending the war, as the official Kremlin continues to maintain unpredictable tactics, which complicates the search for a peace formula. Rutte also noted that, despite the achievement of certain diplomatic satisfactions from the United States, in particular the activities of Donald Trump, who "moved the situation from the spot", it is still impossible to predict the exact date of the end of hostilities. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine needs to be provided with sufficient resources and weapons in the medium term so that it can hold its ground and be in a strong negotiating position when the time comes for dialogue. The NATO chief sharply criticized Russia’s approach to the negotiations, stressing that Moscow is trying to shift responsibility for the conflict to a historical perspective, returning to certain old arguments. “I am not talking about negotiations that are led by a Russian historian, going back thousands of years and shifting responsibility. This is not a serious basis,” Rutte said. He added that the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul was high-level, while the Russian side did not demonstrate such seriousness. This caused some disappointment in international circles, as it seems that Moscow continues to block any real steps towards peace. Rutte also spoke about hope and the future: “I hope that serious negotiations will nevertheless begin in the near future. The goal is not only to conclude a truce, but also to achieve a just and lasting peace. And I am convinced that Vladimir Putin will never again dare to seize a single piece of Ukrainian territory.” The background to this diplomatic tension is connected with the initiative of the Turkish side, which since the beginning of June has expressed the hope of organizing a meeting of the leaders of the United States, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at that time that Ankara hopes to help hold such a meeting in Istanbul or in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Earlier, this idea was actively supported by other government representatives, in particular Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and was later confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Thus, the situation surrounding possible negotiations remains tense. Although diplomatic efforts are ongoing, real progress is still difficult to predict. At the same time, statements by European and American leaders aimed at supporting Ukraine indicate a desire for a peaceful settlement, which, given the uncertainty, remains the highest priority for many in this difficult situation.