NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday defended the idea of deploying European forces to Ukraine after a possible ceasefire with Russia, dismissing Moscow’s objections as irrelevant.
Speaking at an event hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Prague, Rutte said:
“Why should we care what Russia thinks about the presence of troops in Ukraine? Ukraine is a sovereign state, and it’s not up to Russia to decide whether there will be foreign troops on its territory.”
Coalition of the Willing to Meet in Paris
The comments come ahead of a meeting in Paris, where Western allies of Ukraine – the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” – will discuss security guarantees for Kyiv once the war with Russia ends.
The main objectives include:
- Strengthening Ukraine’s military capacity
- Ensuring political and military commitments in case of renewed Russian aggression
- Exploring the role of potential peacekeeping or monitoring forces after a ceasefire
Rutte will attend the Paris meeting via video link, while French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to co-chair the discussions.
Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of NATO or European troops being stationed in Ukraine, insisting it would escalate tensions. However, Western leaders argue such deployments could provide long-term stability and deterrence against future aggression.
