Rutte promises Zelensky continued support
Jun 25, 2025
The Hague [Netherlands], June 25: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday that he can count on continued support from the allies for Kiev's defence against Russia.
"Everybody is very motivated ... to keep you strong, to keep you in the fight, and to bring this terrible war to a durable and lasting peace," Rutte told Zelensky as they met in The Hague ahead of the defence alliance's two-day summit.
"You are among friends here," Rutte stressed.
Allies, including the US under former president Joe Biden, agreed last year that Ukraine was on "an irreversible path" to NATO membership.
After US President Donald Trump's return to power in January, Washington however made clear that it no longer sees Ukraine joining NATO in the near future and suspended military aid for Ukraine. The U-turn was followed by a fraught meeting between Zelensky and Trump at the White House in February.
Rutte reassured Zelensky on Tuesday that NATO leaders are to pledge continued support for Ukraine in their upcoming summit declaration, adding that Euro pean NATO members and Canada had already pledged €35 billion ($40.6 billion) for Kiev this year. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
