NATO is working on multi-layered security guarantees to prevent any future Russian attack on Ukraine following a potential peace deal, Secretary General Mark Rutte said, warning Moscow would face a devastating response if it strikes again.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Poland with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Rutte said the issue of Ukraine's security goes beyond the ongoing push for peace and remains central to NATO's long-term strategy.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has to know that after a peace deal, if he will try to attack Ukraine again, the reaction will be devastating, and this is exactly how we are designing these security guarantees," he said.
Rutte reiterated NATO’s political commitment to Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic future, recalling that allies agreed at the 2024 Washington Summit on the "irreversible path" of Ukraine toward NATO membership. However, he acknowledged that, in practical terms, unanimity among allies is currently lacking.
"As we speak, a couple of allies are saying they will not give their consent, and therefore will withhold unanimity to Ukraine entering NATO, countries like Hungary, the United States, Slovakia, and maybe a couple others," Rutte said.
