Nato secretary general Mark Rutte on Saturday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “find a way” to repair his relationship with US President Donald Trump after their heated exchange at the White House.
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, Rutte disclosed that he had advised Zelenskyy, saying: “You have to find a way, dear Volodymyr, to restore your relationship with Donald Trump and the American administration.”
I’m absolutely convinced that the US wants to bring Ukraine to this durable peace … But obviously what they need to get there is to make sure that we all work together on this. And it is important that President Zelenskyy finds a way to restore his relationship with the American president and with the senior American leadership team.
Mark Rutte
His remarks came after a heated confrontation between Trump, VP JD Vance, and Zelensky, which he described as “unfortunate” and in need of repair.
He disclosed his two telephonic conversations with the Ukrainian president, stating: “I have been twice on the phone now with President Zelenskyy. I told him this, we need to stick together, the United States, Ukraine and Europe, to bring Ukraine to a durable peace.”
Responding to queries about Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump, Rutte stated that he was “not at liberty to disclose” the details of his discussion with Zelenskyy but emphasised the need to acknowledge Trump’s past support for Ukraine.
He said “he was not at liberty to disclose” what he discussed, “but what I clearly told him is that we really have to give Trump credit for what he did then, what America did since then, and also what America is still doing,” specifically acknowledging the US-supplied Javelin anti-tank missiles, which strengthened Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and allowed them to “fight back.”
Rutte further added that Trump remains committed to brokering a lasting peace in Ukraine but noted that the US president expects Europe and Canada to increase their defense spending, The Guardian reported.
While on the other hand the European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine late Friday following a tense Oval Office meeting.
The statements from European leaders on Friday primarily focused on reaffirming their backing for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, which has now lasted more than three years. They avoided direct references to Trump or Vance in their remarks.
In what appeared to be a subtle criticism of the Trump administration, Zelenskyy had shared these supportive messages on X, responding to each with “thank you for your support”.