Mark Rutte’s plea comes after the two leaders had a falling out in Washington that strained ties between Kiev and its biggest donor.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called on Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to mend ties with US President Donald Trump following a heated exchange at the White House.
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky on Friday, which Rutte described as “unfortunate” in an interview with the BBC on Saturday, was originally set up to finalize a minerals agreement. It escalated into a tense exchange.
The Ukrainian leader maintained that Washington should increase its support for Kiev rather than position itself as a neutral mediator with Moscow. Trump criticized Zelensky for what he perceived as a lack of gratitude for American assistance and an unwillingness to make concessions to resolve the conflict with Russia.
The confrontation led to the day’s events being cut short, with the US president reportedly dismissing his guest from the White House. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the encounter as a “fiasco,” with Trump telling Zelensky to return when he was “ready to pursue peace.”
“I said: I think you have to find a way, dear Vladimir, to restore your relationship with Donald Trump and the American administration. That is important going forward,” Rutte said, referring to a call he had with Zelensky on Friday.
He reminded Zelensky of the support provided by the Trump administration, particularly the provision of Javelin anti-tank weapons in 2019, which were crucial in Ukraine’s defense when the conflict escalated in 2022. Without the Javelins, “Ukraine would have been nowhere,” Rutte stated.
The NATO chief emphasized the importance of acknowledging the assistance from the US, which remains Kiev’s biggest donor. The US has provided $65.9 billion in military aid since 2022, according to a US Department of State posting on January 20, 2025.
“We really have to give Trump credit for what he did then, what America did since then and also what America is still doing,” Rutte said.
The heated Trump-Zelensky exchange has drawn diverse international reactions. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, reaffirmed their support for Ukraine.
Conversely, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban endorsed Trump’s stance, praising his peace efforts. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the meeting a “complete political and diplomatic failure” by the Ukrainian side.
Rutte is covering his own useless carcass
Without NATO he is curtains
Sickening and appalling creature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntikLEHFtjw
Hard to believe this is happening or even possible
What happened to the war to end all wars?
That was prolonged unnecessarily to fulfill and agenda
That NATO creature is sh*ting his pants. The Zionist Empire plans now hang in the balance.
Europe SMASHES Trump Peace Effort for Ukraine; Adopts untenable position
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/world-news/europe-smashes-trump-peace-effort-for-ukraine-adopts-untenable-position
Thats a good take, looks like America is on its own now but a force to be reconed with.
Fixed it for you:
‘Thats a good take, looks like Europe (English.., French.. and German Deep Statj) is on its own now and not even a force. Full Stop.
This is the Zelensky character, president of Ukraine and a country the PM of NZ stands with. How low can the present western leaders go supporting a character who plays the piano with his penis, and which the Ukrainians find very amusing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oua0Puihrkc&t=92s
The dynamics here are quite interesting and revealing: The NATO chief Rutte does not want Zelensky to make peace with President Putin because that would end the war. Instead, he wants Zelensky to make peace with President Trump so that Zelensky and the EU can suck the US into the Ukraine war with “boots on the ground”. That seems to be the EU plan and Sturmer has already said, “Boots on the ground and planes in the air.” The EU wants to behave recklessly, hoping that the US will back it when it gets in trouble. Without US backing, the EU has to behave more cautiously.
Zelensky was 30 minutes late to the White House meeting a few days ago when the mineral deal was meant to be signed. It turns out Zelensky first had a meeting with Democrats who persuaded him not to sign the mineral deal unless there were security guarantees within it. That’s why the argument erupted because Zelensky already had an agenda before the White House meeting. The Democrats who met with him violated the Logan Act. I wonder if they will be charged? They certainly sabotaged a deal that could have led towards peace.
NATO are acting in their own interests which have diverged far enough from USA’s interests for the USA to ditch them and exit NATO. NATO are munted without the USA so they need to start kissing Trump’s posterior.
“I think you have to find a way, dear Vladimir, to restore your relationship with the zionist deep state, otherwise we are all fucked. That is important going forward,” Rutte really wanted to say.
I would like to see that, Trump wouldn’t wash his croach for a week before that hulilation ritual.
Rutte, ex Dutch prime minister who had the police to shoot twice on demonstrants with real bullets. The second time it were farmers. Despicable creature covering up his ass.
It’s a fine line. NATO is broke. USA has been footing the bill for many years. Perhaps that is why one the the biggest narcissists ever, Rutte; is now all gentle kitty.