NATO's Rutte calls on Russia to respond as Ukraine acts

What do you need to know?

• Meeting in Washington: Mark Rutte met with U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisors to discuss NATO defense issues and the situation in Ukraine.
• Negotiations with Ukraine: Rutte emphasized that the Ukrainians have taken action, and now Russia must respond to their initiatives.
• Defense spending: Rutte noted that NATO countries need to increase their defense spending to meet threats from Russia.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. "There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really playing ball, and I think the ball is clearly in the Russian court now," he said.

He admitted that he does not know whether Vladimir Putin wants peace. He also refused to provide details on the concessions required of Ukraine and denied reports by the Financial Times that his visit to Washington was intended to dissuade the Trump administration from attempts to force Ukraine to accept an unfavourable deal, including the recognition of Crimea's annexation.

Rutte reported that talks with Trump, his National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio focused mainly on NATO defence spending and the upcoming summit in The Hague. Negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine were also discussed.

Earlier on Thursday, Rutte met with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and had planned meetings with Waltz and Rubio. The meeting with Trump was not in his original plans.

Rutte also touched on the topic of American troops stationed in Europe, suggesting that a potential reduction in their presence would be understandable. He pointed out that the United States faces strategic demands in multiple regions, such as the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. He further noted that this shift in focus toward Asia has been a consistent element of U.S. policy since the Obama administration.

Rutte emphasized that NATO countries, such as Belgium, Spain, and Italy, must meet the defence spending requirement of 2 percent of GDP by the summit in The Hague. However, he noted that this is not enough for NATO to defend its territory effectively.

The NATO Secretary General highlighted that the current strategy is the result of thorough planning rather than guesswork. He stressed that the alliance has a precise understanding of both the capabilities it aims to develop and the deficiencies that must be addressed to safeguard NATO’s territorial integrity. He also remarked that with the significant increase in defence spending by European and Canadian allies, their financial contributions are now expected to be on par with those of the United States.