NATO Secretary General to Zelensky: You Need to Repair Your Relations with Trump

Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, said on Saturday, March 2, that he has asked Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, to find a way to repair his relations with Donald Trump, the President of the United States. This comment from the NATO Secretary General comes a day after the meeting between the Presidents of the United States and Ukraine at the White House and Trump's announcement of Zelensky's unpreparedness for peace. Rutte added that he reminded the Ukrainian President that reviving his relationship with the U.S. President is 'important' for continuing work. The NATO Secretary General further stated that he told Zelensky: 'We really need to respect what President Trump has done for Ukraine.' Rutte reminded the Ukrainian President that it was Trump who provided the Javelin anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in 2019, enabling its forces to counter the Russian invasion. He emphasized that without the Javelin anti-tank missiles, Ukraine would have had no chance when the Russian invasion began in 2021. Mark Rutte added that he told Zelensky he must acknowledge the effectiveness of Trump's role and the U.S. in what they did and are doing in defense of Ukraine. The NATO Secretary General expressed confidence that the United States seeks to establish lasting peace in Ukraine and that cooperation among all NATO members is essential to achieve this. In response to a question about whether other NATO members could fill the gap resulting from a potential halt in U.S. military aid to Ukraine, he said that establishing peace in Ukraine requires cooperation between the United States, Ukraine, and Europe, and 'this is exactly what Trump, the President of the U.S., is fighting for.' The U.S. President described his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday as 'very meaningful' and added that Zelensky is not ready for peace because he feels that U.S. intervention gives him 'a great advantage' in negotiations. Trump stated: 'I don't want an advantage; I want peace.' He further noted that Volodymyr Zelensky has 'disrespected' the United States in the Oval Office and that 'whenever he is ready for peace, he can come back.' Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated in an exclusive interview with CNN that Volodymyr Zelensky should apologize for his tense meeting with Donald Trump at the White House. He described the meeting as 'a disaster' and expressed doubt about Zelensky's real willingness to achieve peace with Russia. Rubio said: 'When you talk so aggressively – and President Trump, who has spent his whole life on deals, knows this – you can't expect people to come to the negotiating table.' He added: 'Zelensky claims he is looking for a peace agreement, but he may not really intend to do so.' Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. National Intelligence Director, also accused Ukraine and Zelensky of 'trying to drag the United States into a nuclear war with Russia.' In a post on her personal account on social media platform X, she thanked Donald Trump for 'standing up for the interests of the American people and peace.' The implications of the tense meeting between Trump and Zelensky; the U.S. President: Zelensky is not seeking peace. Trump to Zelensky: You won't succeed without America; either you agree or we withdraw. Pursuing direct negotiations between the U.S. and Russia; this time in Istanbul, Turkey. Trump: Efforts to establish peace in Ukraine are 'moving rapidly.' Trump did not rule out reaching an agreement on Ukrainian minerals; Zelensky's visit to the U.S. Ukraine needs $524 billion for reconstruction. U.S. resolution passed in the Security Council to end the Russia-Ukraine war.