NATO Chief Says Russia Not Moving Fast Enough to End War in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has emphasized the urgency for Russia to accelerate its efforts towards ending the war in Ukraine. During an interview on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," which aired on Sunday, Rutte stated that Russia is not progressing swiftly enough and that the United States has conveyed a clear message to Moscow: they need to do more to bring about a resolution to the conflict.

Russia's Pace of Resolution

Rutte, who spoke with Brennan on Friday, asserted that both the U.S. and its allies within NATO are united in their approach to countering Russia and are actively collaborating to secure an end to the war in Ukraine and curb Russian aggression. He commended the White House for prioritizing efforts to "break the deadlock" in Ukraine, where Russia's invasion has been ongoing since 2022, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties and widespread destruction of cities and towns.

"Russians also have to dance the tango, and at this moment they don't seem to do so," Rutte said, while Ukrainians "are really close to the American position."

The U.S. has proposed a full 30-day ceasefire, but Russia has not yet agreed to it, citing outstanding issues that need to be resolved first. Senator Marco Rubio, who attended a NATO conference in Brussels, expressed that the response from Russia regarding the ceasefire proposal would soon reveal their sincerity in pursuing peace or if it's merely a delaying tactic.

The Role of President Trump

Rutte highlighted the significance of President Trump's inauguration in initiating the peace process, stating that "until January this year, nothing happened when it came to bringing this war to an end." He emphasized that both sides and the U.S. are currently working diligently to finalize the details of a partial ceasefire.

NATO and Trade Tariffs

Regarding Mr. Trump's global tariffs, which have impacted Europe and many allies, Rutte expressed confidence that they would not harm the military alliance. While acknowledging the potential impact on individual allies, he asserted that it does not affect NATO as a whole. He firmly believes that a potential trade war will not hinder Europe's defense spending or commitment to NATO.

Mr. Trump has consistently criticized NATO countries for their defense spending, which falls short of 2% of their gross domestic product. During his second administration, he urged members to more than double their defense spending to 5%. Rutte countered this by stating that European countries have already significantly increased their spending.

Nuclear Deterrence and Article 5

In response to statements from German, Polish, and French leaders regarding expanding a western European nuclear umbrella beyond the protection assurances provided by the U.S. and United Kingdom, Rutte expressed confidence in the U.S.' nuclear security guarantee. He cited repeated assurances from President Trump and Senator Rubio, emphasizing that the U.S. is fully committed to NATO and Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on any NATO member country is considered an attack on all members. Rutte stressed that the U.S. remains the ultimate guarantor of NATO territory through its nuclear deterrent.