Nato chief Mark Rutte has issued a stark warning to Donald Trump of a ‘dire threat’ to the United States if Ukraine is pushed into a bad peace deal.
The incoming American President has promised to strike an agreement with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to end the war ‘within 24 hours’ of taking office.
But many fear that any such deal would involve Ukraine having to cede land already taken by Russian troops – something Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has ruled unacceptable.
And Mr Rutte yesterday spoke out, warning that forcing Kyiv into a poor peace treaty with Russia will only embolden Iran and China.
Nato’s Secretary-General cautioned against Mr Trump’s plans for a quick peace deal, which he said would lead to the West’s enemies “high fiving” and plotting their own attacks.
“We cannot have a situation where we have Kim Jong-un and the Russian leader and Xi Jinping and Iran high-fiving because we came to a deal which is not good for Ukraine,” he said.
“Long-term, that will be a dire security threat not only to Europe but also to the US.”
Mr Rutte, who met Mr Trump and his foreign policy team on Nov 23 to discuss a “range of global security issues facing the alliance,” said he had warned the president-elect about a sharp end to the war during their discussion.
But experts have warned it is impossible to predict what the incoming American President – who takes office in January and has had an ambiguous relationship with Putin – might do.
Mr Trump has already called on Nato members to increase domestic military spending to 3 per cent of GDP, a 50 per cent boost from its current level.
