Rutte reveals NATO's secret tactics for Ukraine talks

The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) has prepared a secret tactic for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine. This was announced by the alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte on February 1.

"I cannot describe to you exactly how these discussions [with Russia] will take place. I already have ideas of what this composition could look like. But we don't want Putin to know more than he already knows. Let's make this a little secret," the NATO secretary general said in an interview with Bild.

Rutte added that the West should provide Kiev with the best possible position by providing it with weapons and training for Ukrainian soldiers.

Continued exploring: the Kremlin sees no grounds for negotiations with Kiev

Is it possible to resume dialog between Russia and Ukraine after Trump comes to power in the United States?

On the eve of US President Donald Trump announced a significant advancement on the topic of the conflict in Ukraine. He informed that there are "very serious" negotiations with the Kremlin on Ukraine.

Earlier, on February 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term of office expired on May 20, 2024, said that he expects the start of negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict with the participation of Moscow, Kiev, Washington and Brussels. According to him, after talking to Trump, Kiev should move to some format of conversation with the Russian Federation. As Zelensky noted, at the moment the consultations with the administration of the American leader are of a general nature.

On the same day, Reuters reported that the Trump administration has for several days continued to discuss ways to convince Ukraine to hold presidential elections in the country as part of a ceasefire with Russian Federation so that the country's newly elected leader would take on the responsibility of agreeing a long-term deal with Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly reminded that Russian Federation has never given up on peace talks, but they should be conducted on the basis of the provisions agreed in Istanbul, not on the basis of "ephemeral demands."

The last round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. They lasted about three hours. Later, Kiev officially refused contacts with Moscow. On October 4, 2022, the Ukrainian president put into effect the decision of the country's National Security and Defense Council on the impossibility of holding talks with Putin.