Foreign Policy

NATO Chief: Trump Secures Breakthrough Toward Peace in Ukraine

Published

August 18, 2025

President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European heads of state at the White House on Monday in a high-stakes round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Joining the discussions were French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The leaders met following Trump’s private call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Afterward, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte joined Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle, on Fox News to give his account of the day’s developments.

A “Very Successful Day” at the White House

Rutte described the meeting as a breakthrough. “President Trump is a pragmatic peacemaker,” he said, praising Trump for both applying pressure and opening dialogue. He pointed to Trump’s success in breaking the deadlock with Moscow, sending lethal weapons to Ukraine funded by European allies, and placing secondary sanctions on India. The NATO chief revealed that security guarantees for Ukraine were central to the talks. Leaders agreed to continue working on those guarantees in the coming days, with another virtual meeting planned. Importantly, Trump secured Putin’s agreement to a direct meeting with Zelenskyy, paving the way for a possible trilateral summit.

Security Guarantees and NATO’s Position

Pressed on what such guarantees might look like, Rutte cited ongoing work led by Britain’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron. A coalition of 30 countries — including Japan and Australia — is shaping a framework of long-term guarantees that would follow a ceasefire or peace deal. The United States, he said, has now signaled its intent to join those efforts. On the question of NATO membership, Rutte stressed that while the U.S. and other nations remain opposed to immediate membership, the alliance maintains that Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” toward NATO. For now, the focus is on Article 5-style guarantees to deter any future Russian aggression.

China’s Role and Trump’s Pressure

The NATO chief also addressed the role of China, accusing Beijing of propping up Russia’s war effort through sanction circumvention, dual-use goods, and purchases of Russian exports. Rutte credited Trump for warning nations that trade with Moscow would face secondary sanctions. The administration already moved forward against India, and he suggested China could be next if Russia resists peace.

“A Conversation Among Friends”

Asked about Trump’s tone behind closed doors, Rutte dismissed the notion that the president is hostile to NATO. “He was amazing, and he is amazing,” he said. Trump’s past criticism of the alliance, Rutte argued, was correct — the U.S. carried too much of the defense burden. That changed at Trump’s urging, with NATO committing to 5% defense spending during his presidency. “He always said that he supported NATO, but he also expected the Europeans to pay up,” Rutte explained. “He has been successful in doing this. Today the conversation was a conversation among friends.”