Ukraine War | Rutte calls for "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine

Kyiv. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, called for "robust security guarantees" from Western allies for Ukraine. When the time comes for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine must have "the unequivocal force of Ukraine's friends" behind it, Rutte said Friday at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "And that's exactly what we're working on right now."

At the summit with Zelensky, Rutte, and European heads of state and government in Washington last Monday, US President Donald Trump proposed security guarantees for Ukraine, which would be based on the mutual assistance clause of the NATO treaty. However, the exact form these security guarantees would take remains unclear.

It is equally unclear who should provide the security guarantees. Zelensky rejected Russia's suggestion to include China. According to him, Kyiv relies exclusively on states "that have genuinely supported the country in critical moments." Critical observers in Ukraine see Zelensky's rejection as a political logic, according to which states deeply involved in the war in Ukraine are eligible to provide security guarantees. Real political weight, they argue, plays no role.

Still "a lot of work"

At the meeting with Rutte, Zelenskyy said that the "structure and infrastructure" of security guarantees is being discussed every day at several levels. He pointed out that it is "a lot of work" and not easy.

When asked about the deployment of soldiers from supporting countries to Ukraine, Rutte said it was too early "to say exactly what the outcome would be." But it was also clear "that we do not want a repeat of the Budapest Memorandum or the Minsk Agreement" because they did not contain sufficient security guarantees.

In the so-called Budapest Memorandum of 1994, Ukraine renounced the Soviet nuclear weapons still stationed on its territory at the time. In return, it received security guarantees from both the United States and Russia, including respect for their borders.

Selenskyj–Putin meeting probably not this year

It is also unclear whether a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin will actually take place. US President Donald Trump, in particular, had expressed his support for this earlier this week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, said on Friday that "no meeting is planned." Putin is "ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda for such a summit is ready," Lavrov told the US broadcaster NBC. However, this is "not at all" the case. Lavrov further stated that Moscow is showing "flexibility" on some points, but insisting on other demands. These include Ukraine's non-membership in NATO and territorial issues. AFP/nd