Rutte: There is no consensus in NATO on Ukraine's accession, but the decisions of the Washington summit are valid

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte admitted that there is no consensus in the Alliance on Ukraine's membership, but the decisions of the 2024 anniversary summit in Washington are valid. He said that said at a briefing in Brussels.

First, he commented on the information that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the December 3 meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Rutte said that Rubio is very actively involved in everything related to ending Russia's war against Ukraine, mentioning the talks in Geneva and Miami.

"I am constantly in touch with him, as are our teams. He is working incredibly intensively, because he has to deal not only with the situation in Ukraine, but also with many other issues. So I fully understand that he can't be here tomorrow, and you shouldn't read anything between the lines," the Alliance Secretary General said.

He confirmed that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau will attend the meeting on December 3.

Rutte also commented on the 28-point "peace plan" that included a demand that Ukraine renounce its NATO membership. He stated that this was the initial version.

"I think any negotiation always starts with an initial project – otherwise, it's impossible to start. But we have already made progress. As I said – and you know – there was a meeting in Geneva, a meeting in Miami. And, of course, negotiations are taking place in Russia today," the Alliance Secretary General continued.

As for Ukraine's membership in NATO, he believes it is important to separate the principled from the practical.

"In practice, the situation is that Ukraine's accession to NATO requires the consensus of all allies. And now, as you know, there is no consensus on Ukraine's membership in NATO. As for the principle, it is the Washington Treaty of 1949. And it remains valid, as do the decisions made at the Washington Summit in 2024," Rutte summarized.

• On November 29, it was reported that Rubio plans to miss the meeting NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, which is highly unusual for a key event amid negotiations to resolve Russia's war against Ukraine.
• On December 1, CNN wrote that The United States is considering a scenario is possible in which Ukraine will actually be deprived of the right to join NATO, but will not have to legally recognize it.