President Donald Trump is the "only one" who can secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says.
Rutte made the comments after his meeting with a group of bipartisan senators on Capitol Hill. He also said NATO would back the president's "clear vision on bringing this war to a durable and lasting end," according to The New York Times.
Rutte was set to visit with Trump on Wednesday after the president said he wanted to direct his focus on ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, NATO and its member states have provided massive support to Kyiv, including military, financial, logistical, to go with nearly $350 in aid from 41 countries.
Ukraine has applied for NATO membership, but it's not guaranteed. NATO has said Ukraine must meet certain criteria first (reforms, stability, territorial integrity). Many NATO members are hesitant to invite a country at war.
Moscow strongly opposes NATO membership for Ukraine and sees NATO presence near its borders as a threat. That tension underpins much of the crisis.
Trump said Monday that while he thinks it's possible that Ukraine can defeat Russia, he doubts it will happen.
The comments from Trump added a fresh layer of skepticism toward Kyiv as he plans to meet again in the coming weeks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in Budapest, Hungary, on ending the war.
"[Ukraine] could still win it. I don't think they will, but they could still win it," Trump told reporters on Monday at the start of a White House meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Trump last month reversed his long-held position that Ukraine would have to concede land and could win back all the territory it has lost to Russia.
After a lengthy call with Putin last week followed by a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump made another reversal and called on Kyiv and Moscow to "stop where they are" and end their war.
Asked Monday about his shifting view of Kyiv's position, Trump offered the dour assessment about Ukraine's chances.
He added: "I never said they would win it. I said they could. Anything can happen. You know war is a very strange thing."
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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