NATO Chief: Ukraine Ready for Peace Talks, Responsibility Now Lies with Russia

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on Thursday that Ukraine is prepared to negotiate peace, but emphasized that the next step depends on Russia. Speaking at a press conference in Antalya during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Rutte said, “Ukraine is clearly ready to play ball, but that ball is now in the Russian court.” He criticized Moscow for sending only a low-level delegation and failing to engage with President Zelenskyy’s stated willingness to meet with President Putin once a ceasefire is in place.

Rutte stressed that any future agreement must be credible and durable, citing the failures of the 2014–2015 Minsk agreements. “We cannot have a repeat of what happened when the ink wasn’t even dry,” he said. He also praised Türkiye for its role in convening the ongoing talks and for its strong defense industrial base, calling its contribution “impressive.” Rutte also welcomed U.S. involvement, expressing NATO’s full support for President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war swiftly and justly.

On the alliance’s defense posture, Rutte reiterated the need to increase military spending, saying that the current 2% of GDP target is “not nearly enough.” He noted that NATO is on the right path but must agree on more ambitious investment goals ahead of the summit in The Hague this June. These goals will likely include both core military spending and broader defense-related investments in infrastructure and resilience.