Security guarantees for Ukraine are being formed as a multi-level system, the key element of which will remain the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but their implementation is possible only after a peace agreement or a long-term ceasefire is reached. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, answering a journalist's question about trust in possible security guarantees from the United States and the role of President Donald Trump, UNN reports.
Details
According to Rutte, significant progress has been made in the last six months precisely on the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine. He outlined three key components of this system. The first and most important are the Ukrainian armed forces, which, he said, will be Ukraine's first line of defense after a possible peaceful settlement.
The second component he named was the international coalition of support for Ukraine, led by France and Great Britain. Within this coalition, allies and partners are discussing how to collectively support Ukraine after the end of hostilities or the establishment of a long-term ceasefire.
Rutte named the participation of the United States as the third element. He recalled that in August last year, the American president announced the readiness of the United States to join in guaranteeing Ukraine's security, and since then these commitments have been worked out in detail over several months. In particular, this issue was discussed at a meeting in Paris in December, in which Rutte personally participated.
At the same time, the NATO Secretary General emphasized that no guarantees can work without a political settlement of the war. According to him, the main question now is whether Russia is ready to agree to real agreements.
Rutte emphasized that a joint review of Russia's readiness to "play by the rules" in negotiations with Ukraine is currently underway under the leadership of the American president and his team. The goal of these efforts is to achieve an end to the war in which Russia will never again try to attack Ukraine. It is for this, according to the Secretary General, that reliable and effective security guarantees are needed.
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