The 28-point plan has since been modified into a 19-point one that waters down some of its most pro-Russian elements. An alternative European proposal scraps the idea of excluding Ukraine from NATO.
Rutte took some of the sting out of his comment by insisting that he has positive feelings for U.S. President Donald Trump. “I like the guy,” he said.
NATO allies have balked at issuing an immediate invitation for Ukraine to join the organization, but members last year agreed that Kyiv’s bid was “irreversible” — a statement Rutte has repeated since despite opposition to the country’s accession by Trump and other member countries.
The NATO secretary-general acknowledged that several “allies … currently oppose Ukraine’s accession.”
Rutte said the current peace plan, which came after broader diplomatic talks in Geneva on Sunday, provided a “good foundation for further discussions,” but added that any proposal will require a “separate, parallel discussion” with NATO “on certain issues.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that any decision about Ukraine’s bid to join the EU or the alliance should not be made unilaterally.