Rutte says it is impossible for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia from a position of strength

Ukraine is not ready for negotiations with Russia from a position of strength to resolve the conflict. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this on January 13, speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels.

"At present, Ukraine cannot negotiate from a position of strength," Rutte said during the speech, which was broadcast on the body's website.

In his opinion, Ukraine needs increased Western assistance to change the situation in the war zone.

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Earlier in the day, the American president-elect's national security adviser Michael Waltz said that Trump believes it is impossible to resolve the conflict in Ukraine without dialog with Russia. He added that the dialog with Russia will be established within the next few months. Waltz also clarified that the American leader-elect considers it impossible to "oust" Russia from all former Ukrainian territories. According to him, the whole world is beginning to recognize this reality.

On 10 January, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, Oleksandr Dubynskyy, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's refusal to negotiate with Russia, whose term of office expired on 20 May 2024, might lead to the disappearance of the Ukrainian state. He noted that the Ukrainian leader has taken the entire country hostage and threatens to destroy it.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.