Ukraine’s Security on the Agenda: NATO Secretary General Rutte Visits Kyiv

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Despite Russia’s brutal nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, the morning began with intense activity. As chair of the committee, she took part in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The meeting discussed the negotiation process and work on security guarantees for Ukraine; military support, both through direct assistance and through the purchase of American weapons at the expense of European partners; and the reform agenda, which is important for both NATO and the European Union.

Regarding the negotiations, I had the opportunity to emphasize that we do not see any hint of Russia’s willingness to conduct honest negotiations—instead, its desire to stall and continue the destruction of Ukraine is obvious.

That is why the support of the Alliance countries is critically important for us: from the point of view of supplying weapons, from the point of view of strengthening our defense capabilities, and from the point of view of changing the situation on the battlefield, as well as increasing sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

They also raised the issue of Russia’s responsibility for war crimes—for the pain, destruction, and death it brought to our land; for the losses of our people; and for the suffering of Ukrainian families.

Obviously, Secretary General Rutte represents the entire alliance and speaks on its behalf, that is, on behalf of all states that, unfortunately, have differences in positions, but at the same time, his opinion can influence the formation of NATO’s common policy—that is why we use every opportunity to be heard.

Mr. Rutte also spoke in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Here are some of his messages to the Ukrainian people:

• Putin was wrong in his calculations that Ukraine was weak and Western countries would tire of providing support.
• Ukraine is strong, and Western support is unwavering. Western attention cannot be diverted from Ukraine, because it is at the center of Western attention and security.
• The Alliance learns from Ukraine, especially its unique innovativeness.
• Ukraine needs strong armed forces but also reliable security guarantees.
• As part of the discussions of the Coalition of the Resolute, some countries pledged to continue to assist Ukraine with troops on the ground, aircraft in the air, and ships in the Black Sea in order to prevent new aggression.
• Peace must be lasting because there must be real power behind it.
• Your peace is our peace, just and lasting.
• Deepest respect to the people of Ukraine. We will continue to support you. We will be there for you.

As a reminder, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv on February 3, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In addition, the Alliance official spoke in the Verkhovna Rada , declared his unwavering support for Ukraine, and stressed the need for a just and lasting peace.

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