Rutte Endorses Trump as Sole Ukraine Peace Solution

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte declared Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “the only person in the world capable of breaking the impasse surrounding peace efforts for Ukraine,” amid reports that US-brokered talks with Russia have stalled.

The deadlock emerged after Russia rejected proposals from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who was engaged alongside Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, in Moscow. Rutte specifically acknowledged this rejection during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, where he cited the Kremlin’s refusal as key to the impasse.

Trump administration officials initially unveiled a 28-point peace plan last month, but Ukraine expressed profound reservations, stating it heavily favored Russia. Following that, European leaders introduced countermeasures, culminating in Geneva talks aimed at creating an “updated and refined peace framework.” However, these efforts appear to have yielded no significant progress.

De Standaard reported Russian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s administration has publicly stated the proposals offered by Western nations are not acceptable. According to top Russian diplomat Yuri Ushakov, the ongoing negotiations between delegations from the US and Russia “have not yet come any closer to a solution,” leaving substantial work ahead.

While Rutte conceded that peace requires time and careful negotiation, he emphasized avoiding interference with Trump’s leadership approach. He noted close coordination with Washington but refrained from further details on talks in Moscow or elsewhere.

The situation highlights significant challenges for achieving an agreement as Ukrainian officials have yet to endorse the new framework despite its creation through collaboration between Kiev and Western partners led by Witkoff and Kushner.