Statement from NATO: 'Ukraine was never promised membership... We committed to it in Washington, but...'

Stating that they have not provided any guarantees regarding Ukraine's accession to NATO, Rutte underscored that Ukraine must necessarily be included in any peace process. Calling on NATO countries to increase their defense budgets, Rutte reported that they want to prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine in the future.

Making assessments regarding defense spending, Rutte pointed out that the current 2 percent spending target remains insufficient. Rutte announced that the new target should be at least 3 percent.

Rutte used the following expressions regarding Ukraine's NATO membership:

''In Washington, NATO committed that Ukraine would be a future NATO member, but it was never agreed that whenever peace talks start, this would definitely be completed with NATO membership. In Washington, NATO committed that Ukraine would be a future NATO member, but it was never agreed that whenever peace talks start, this would definitely be completed with NATO membership.''

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

WAS UKRAINE PROMISED NATO MEMBERSHIP?

Touching upon Russia's stance toward Ukraine, Rutte noted that the failures of past agreements must not be repeated. Rutte drew attention to the importance of all parties cooperating to ensure a lasting peace.

Explaining that the US has committed to Ukraine's future NATO membership, Rutte said the following regarding potential peace negotiations to be conducted between Ukraine and Russia:

''(NATO Defense Ministers Meeting) We are in full agreement that the outcome of these talks must be lasting. As Pete Hegseth also said yesterday, we must not have a second Minsk Agreement. Therefore, whatever the outcome, we must ensure that Putin will not try to seize another square kilometer of Ukraine.

In Washington, NATO committed that Ukraine would be a future NATO member, but it was never agreed that whenever peace talks start, this would definitely be completed with NATO membership. This was never accepted. (Membership) This has never been a promise made to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.

All allies and Ukraine are united in the desire for peace in Ukraine. We all agree that we must put Ukraine in the best possible position for negotiations.''

Recalling that Putin stated a few years later that the agreement no longer existed and launched a war against Ukraine, Rutte added the following:

''We must ensure that Putin does not challenge these agreements again, just as he began to challenge their results toward 2015 and 2016.''

Furthermore, addressing the relations between North Korea, China, and Russia, Rutte said that developments in the Indo-Pacific region should be monitored carefully. Rutte emphasized the importance of developing a common strategy against threats emerging in this region.

Rutte made the following statement regarding the US:

''I said it today as well, if the US sees China and the situations emerging in the Indo-Pacific as a rising threat, we must face it together.''

In a statement made on February 14, US President Donald Trump announced that there is no possibility of Ukraine becoming a NATO member

US SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

Stating that Kyiv must be involved in negotiations for any peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine to be lasting, Rutte reported that he believes 'the Kyiv administration will be involved in the process in one way or another.' Rutte recalled that the first person Trump called after his meeting with Putin yesterday was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Rutte stated that he would also hold meetings with both Zelenskyy and European allies at the Munich Security Conference to be held in Germany over the weekend.

Reiterating his view that Europe should increase the ratio of its gross domestic product (GDP) allocated to defense spending, Rutte said, ''The new target should be much more than the current 2 percent. It should be at least more than 3 percent.''

Rutte stated that countries that have not reached the 2 percent target so far plan to reach this goal by the summer, and thus there will be 'more burden sharing' between the US, which spends over 3 percent on defense, and the remaining countries.

News Source: AA