NATO’s Rutte calls Putin ‘strong negotiator’, Hegseth says US expects allies to 'support' talks
NATO chief Rutte and DoD head Hegseth held a briefing in Brussels.
What Rutte said
🔹 “I don’t know what is exactly in President Putin’s mind, of course… I have had many meetings with him between 2010 and 2014 in my previous role, and he is a strong negotiator.”
🔹 “In Washington, NATO committed to future NATO membership for Ukraine, but it has never been agreed that whenever peace talks would start, that peace talks would end with NATO membership.”
🔹 Allies “have to make sure that there is peace in Ukraine,” but seek an outcome that “won’t be seen as a loss to the West” and one that is “enduring.”
🔹 The US has been “irritated basically for a long time” about its defence spending vs. the rest of NATO, and other members recognise they have to “do more,” including raising spending to 3% of GDP, Rutte said, commenting on reports of US plans to cut conventional deployments in Europe.
🔹 NATO expects European countries to take on more of the “financial burden” of Ukraine aid.
What Hegseth said
🔸 The DoD expects allies to “support this important work,” including through “greater ownership of future security assistance to Ukraine.”
🔸 Coming to the table is not “making concessions,” Hegseth said. “President Putin responds to strength,” Trump is coming at the problem “from a position of strength.”
🔸 “No one’s going to get everything that they want.” Acknowledging that borders won’t be rolled back to 2014 is “a recognition of hard power realities on the ground.”
🔸 Trump, the “dealmaker and businessman,” recognises “that an investment relationship with Ukraine ultimately for the United States is a lot more tangible than any promises or shared values we might have.”
🔸 “Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker.” The US cannot be “everywhere for everybody all the time.”
🔸 Europe should take responsibility for its defence while the US focuses on the Pacific “to project power there” against China.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
