NATO summit in danger? Rutte discusses peace in Washington

NATO summit in danger? Rutte discusses peace in Washington

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to the United States on Thursday to hold important talks with senior US officials. Loud oe24 Rutte will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The talks take place under the auspices of the upcoming NATO summit in June and aim to discuss current challenges, in particular the stalled ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine.

In a phone call with Rutte, Rubio expressed concern and threatened to withdraw US efforts if a clear path to peace was not identified. These statements should be seen in a larger context in which similar views have been expressed by other political leaders, including Donald Trump and Hegseth.

Military aid to Ukraine

Rutte recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, shortly after he took office. There he pledged to increase military aid to Ukraine, which he sees as crucial to the security of both Ukraine and NATO. How daily news reported, Rutte reiterated that Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before and will continue on its path to NATO membership.

Zelensky used this meeting to present elements of his “victory plan.” He not only called for more Western weapons systems, but also for the use of these weapons against targets in Russia. He also criticized the delays in arms transfers and appealed to Western partners to repel Iranian missiles and drones.

NATO summit and strategic challenges

The upcoming talks in Washington come as the NATO summit in The Hague in June approaches and important strategic challenges remain. NATO's current strategic concept, which was adopted at the summit in Madrid in 2022, was significantly shaped by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It identifies Russia as a key threat and emphasizes the need for collective defense bpb. The dangers posed by authoritarian regimes and hybrid threats such as cyber attacks are also highlighted.

NATO has announced clear measures to strengthen its forces, particularly on the eastern flank, to address rising threats. Under the motto “Enhanced Forward Presence”, the military presence in countries such as Romania and Hungary is being expanded. This illustrates NATO's 360-degree approach, which takes into account threats from all directions and is intended to ensure stability in the Euro-Atlantic region.

Rutte is therefore faced with the challenge of setting the course for comprehensive support for Ukraine and an active role for NATO in the current security policy situation at the NATO summit within two months. His talks in Washington are a crucial step on this path.