NATO Ukraine support: Mark Rutte says alliance ensuring Kyiv has tools to stay in fight ahead of Trump-Putin summit

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that the alliance is “making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay in the fight” ahead of the Aug. 15 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited to the meeting, though US officials have indicated a potential future trilateral summit.

In an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Rutte emphasized NATO’s coordination role. “And, as you said, NATO is coordinating all of this through our command in Wiesbaden, making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay in the fight and be in the best possible position when it comes to negotiations on a ceasefire [and] a peace deal,” he said.

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Moscow has proposed a ceasefire agreement that would give Russia control over Eastern Ukraine in exchange for ending the three-year conflict. Zelensky rejected the proposal on X, calling it a “stillborn” decision if made without Ukraine’s involvement.

Ceasefire talks, defense spending, and NATO Ukraine support initiatives

Rutte acknowledged that Ukraine may initially be excluded from the Aug. 15 talks until conditions for credible negotiations are met. “What will happen on Friday is testing Putin by President Trump,” he said. “And, obviously, when it comes to peace talks, the ceasefire, and what happens after that on territories, on security guarantees for Ukraine, Ukraine will have to be and will be involved.”

The NATO chief commended Trump for initiating dialogue with Russia in February, breaking what Rutte described as a diplomatic “deadlock” left from former President Joe Biden’s strategy of isolating Moscow.

Rutte also noted recent US measures, including an Aug. 6 executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on India’s purchases of Russian oil, raising the total tariff to 50 per cent. These tariffs take effect 21 days after signing.

He cited Trump’s role in securing a 5 per cent defense spending agreement among NATO allies in June and a July deal to deliver more weapons to Ukraine. “We had a great NATO summit under his leadership, committing to 5 per cent defense spending… And then he opened the floodgates three weeks ago of American lethal weapons to be delivered into Ukraine, coordinated by NATO, and, of course, the secondary sanctions,” Rutte said.