Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed the importance of security guarantees for Kyiv in any discussion of a settlement of the nearly three-year-old war against Russia.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discusses talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and Europe’s commitment to spend more in defense on ‘The Story.’

The head of NATO on Monday praised President Trump for taking the initiative to pursue an end to the Ukraine war — and knocked Europe for “complaining” instead of getting its “act together.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte,

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/)

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday said any peace deal to end the fighting in Ukraine must be enduring and that Kyiv should be closely involved in the negotiations with Russia, as America’s allies adjusted to the stunning news that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had held a long one-on-one talk this week about a possible ceasefire deal.

NATO members will have to bolster their defense spending by “considerably more than 3%” of their GDP, the alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said Saturday. The alliance chief’s warning came just days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tore into NATO allies as failing to “take primary responsibility” for Europe’s defense and called for a minimum GDP spending target of 5%.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that any peace deal in Ukraine must be enduring and that any discussions must include Kyiv.

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, front second left, speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as they pose with other ministers during a

Watch live as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte give joint remarks at the defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels. President Donald Trump upended three years

Watch live as NATO defense ministers and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrive for a meeting at the headquarters in Brussels. President Donald Trump upended three years of U.S. policy

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday,

President JD Vance, right, shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.