‘Only Trump can get this done’: NATO chief Rutte praises US President's efforts to deliver peace in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday (October 22), downplayed concerns of friction between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following their tense White House talks last week.

Rutte said his meeting with Trump had been planned in advance and would focus on “delivering his vision on peace in Ukraine.”

‘Meeting was already planned’

When asked by Sky News if his visit signaled that Trump’s meeting with Zelensky was a “total disaster,” Rutte dismissed the suggestion. “No, not at all. This was already planned before,” he said.

He added that he had been in touch with Trump following what he called “the enormous success in Gaza.” “We said let’s have a meeting in Washington to discuss how we now can deliver his vision on peace in Ukraine,” Rutte explained, describing the Trump-Zelensky meeting as “a good meeting” and “successful.”

‘Only Trump can get this done’

Rutte praised Trump’s leadership on Ukraine, saying the NATO alliance had been “renewed and reinvigorated” since his return to office in January. He credited Trump with “breaking the deadlock” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their phone conversation in February.

“I have total confidence in President Trump, and he’s the only one who can get this done,” Rutte said when asked whether Putin had persuaded Trump to soften his stance on Russia. “Trump’s leadership here is crucial. He is clearly providing it and he has to dialogue with all the leaders. He has to dialogue with Putin, he has to dialogue with Zelensky,” he added.

Trump-Zelensky meeting ends without arms deal

Trump hosted Zelensky at the White House last Friday, but the talks — described by a senior Ukrainian official as “tense” — concluded without an announcement on providing Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.

Zelensky, speaking in Oslo on Wednesday, said he supported Trump’s proposal to use the current front line as the basis for talks with Moscow but doubted Russian cooperation. “Trump proposed ‘Stay where we stay and begin conversation,’” Zelensky said. “I think that was a good compromise, but I’m not sure that Putin will support it, and I said it to the president.”

Putin meeting shelved

Trump was expected to meet Putin in Budapest in the coming weeks but has since postponed the encounter. A White House official confirmed there were “no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future.”

Trump, who has emphasized his personal rapport with Putin as key to reaching a peace deal, has reportedly grown frustrated with the Russian leader’s reluctance to make concessions.

Key takeaways:

-Rutte says his Washington meeting with Trump was planned before the Trump-Zelensky talks.

-NATO chief praises Trump’s leadership, says only he can deliver peace in Ukraine.

-Trump’s meeting with Zelensky ended without an arms deal.

-Putin meeting postponed amid rising uncertainty over negotiations.