NATO Secretary General After Trump 'Cotted' With Europe: The Ball Is Now In Putin's Hands

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European country leaders/DOK PHOTO via X @ SecGenNATO

JAKARTA - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the "ball" is now in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rutte affirmed the wishes of all parties regarding peace in Ukraine.

This was conveyed by Rutte after joining a phone call between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Wednesday, August 13.

"We are united in efforts to end this terrible war against (Ukraine) and achieve a just and lasting peace," Rutte wrote on social media.

"Regarding leadership (Trump) and close coordination with the Allies. The ball is now in Putin's hands," he said, referring to the upcoming meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called the virtual meeting "very good."

"We are exchanging ideas about the upcoming bilateral meeting in Alaska. Today Europe, the US and NATO have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine," Von der Leyen said.

"We will continue to coordinate closely. No one wants more peace than us, just and lasting peace," he added.

After virtual talks with Trump and European leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the need for a Russian-Ukraine ceasefire after negotiations with European leaders and US President Donald Trump.

"There must be a ceasefire first, then security guarantees, real security guarantees," Zelenskyy said.

"President (Donald) Trump expressed his support for that," he stressed.

The President of Ukraine has emphasized that Russia has no veto right to European views, including NATO, against Ukraine.

Zelensky reiterated Ukraine and their European allies wanted peace in Ukraine.

"Sanctions must be strengthened if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire in Alaska," he said.

Russia insists its stance to end the war in Ukraine has not changed since President Vladimir Putin set its terms last year, namely the full withdrawal of Kyiv troops from key Ukrainian territories and abandoned its NATO ambitions.

Putin and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet on Friday, August 15 in Alaska, the first US-Russia summit since 2021, to discuss efforts to end the war.

Trump said both sides should exchange parts of the territory they currently control so that this happens.

Russia currently controls 19% of Ukraine, including the entire Crimea, the entire Luhansk, more than 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, as well as a small part of Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropxisk.

After several media reported Washington understood Putin was ready to compromise over his territorial demands, Russia's Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexei Fadeev, confirmed Russia's position had not changed.

"Russia's position remains unchanged, and it was voiced in this hall more than a year ago, on June 14, 2024," Fadeev said, referring to Putin's speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the time, in its most complete public statement so far on a possible form of settlement, the Kremlin leadership filed a lawsuit, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions they still control.

Putin also said Kyiv should officially inform Moscow they are canceling plans to join the US-led NATO military alliance.