Rutte: New security guarantees for Ukraine should not be like the Budapest Memorandum
Mark Rutte (Photo: OLIVIER HOSLET/ EPA)

The security guarantees that Ukraine, the US, and Europe are currently working on together must be real, unlike the Budapest Memorandum and the Minsk Agreements. This was stated by the NATO Secretary General. Mark Rutte at a joint press conference with the president by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Rutte recalled that the memorandum that Ukraine received after giving up nuclear weapons in 1994 and the Minsk agreements, concluded after the start of Russian aggression in 2014, did not lead to "real guarantees".

"Our new guarantees must not be like that. We are working together – Ukraine, the USA and Europe – to ensure that the guarantees are of such a level that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, sitting in Moscow, would never even think of attacking Ukraine again," said Rutte.

According to the NATO Secretary General, security guarantees for Ukraine will have "two layers".

First, there will be the adoption of a peace agreement or a ceasefire, or a combination of both.

"The first layer will be to ensure that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are as strong as possible, so that they can withstand any difficulties," Rutte said.

Security guarantees from the US and Europe will be provided next.

The Secretary-General clarified that work is currently underway on specific proposals.

  • August 22, Rubio stated / declared / saidthat America will participate in security guarantees for Ukraine after the war, but Europe must take the leading role.