NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on Thursday that Russia has no right to veto the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine as part of proposed security guarantees, should a truce be reached.
Rutte emphasised Ukraine’s sovereignty, saying: “Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide. Russia has nothing to do with this.”
He added: “If Ukraine wants to have security guarantee forces in Ukraine to support a peace deal, it’s up to them. Nobody else can decide about it.”
Rutte further stressed the importance of not allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to appear too powerful on the international stage.
Coalition of the Willing
| Aspect | Detail |
| Initiative | Coalition of the willing, led by France and Britain |
| Purpose | Firm up contributions to security guarantees for Ukraine |
| Participating Countries | Roughly 30 Western nations |
| Goal | Establish troop numbers and commitments for a potential “reassurance force” |
| Strategy | Present a concrete plan to encourage US military backing |
The coalition is discussing precise troop contributions and hopes that a clear plan will persuade US President Donald Trump to honour his promise of American military support.
The Kremlin has consistently opposed any deployment of Western troops on Ukrainian soil as part of a potential peace settlement.
Meanwhile, despite Trump’s efforts to end the war, Russia has been reluctant to engage in direct talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
