NATO Chief Rutte: We Don’t Care What Putin Thinks on Ukraine Joining NATO, He Has No Vote

RUTTE To your question ░░░░░░░░ as you know there ░░░░░░░░ a commitment that Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ become a member of ░░░░░░░░ The question now of ░░░░░░░░ is how this will ░░░░░░░░ play out whenever hopefully ░░░░░░░░ soon as possible Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ say the president of ░░░░░░░░ I m willing to ░░░░░░░░ into peace talks when ░░░░░░░░ can get Putin to ░░░░░░░░ table the most important ░░░░░░░░ at that moment is ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ have a sustainable peace ░░░░░░░░ we will never again ░░░░░░░░ what happened with Minsk ░░░░░░░░ 2014 where we thought ░░░░░░░░ we had a sustainable ░░░░░░░░ but basically Putin was ░░░░░░░░ to continue his quest ░░░░░░░░ get more of Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ he did in 2022 ░░░░░░░░ also before of course ░░░░░░░░ the green men not ░░░░░░░░ of course but still ░░░░░░░░ know they were in ░░░░░░░░ Donbas So it has ░░░░░░░░ be sustainable And for ░░░░░░░░ to be sustainable we ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ will never ever ever ░░░░░░░░ try to get a ░░░░░░░░ kilometer of Ukraine in ░░░░░░░░ future My problem with ░░░░░░░░ question is this that ░░░░░░░░ see too many politicians ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine and outside Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ if you would have ░░░░░░░░ talks what would that ░░░░░░░░ first of all for ░░░░░░░░ territory the Russians have ░░░░░░░░ captured And secondly what ░░░░░░░░ would mean for NATO ░░░░░░░░ and no And the ░░░░░░░░ here is that we ░░░░░░░░ to negotiate with Putin ░░░░░░░░ Putin at the table ░░░░░░░░ the risk is that ░░░░░░░░ is sitting in his ░░░░░░░░ chair in Moscow that ░░░░░░░░ is just ticking boxes ░░░░░░░░ or not NATO yes ░░░░░░░░ not keeping some of ░░░░░░░░ territory I have captured ░░░░░░░░ the past So I ░░░░░░░░ say our focus has ░░░░░░░░ be to bring Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ the best possible position ░░░░░░░░ peace talks will start ░░░░░░░░ when they end we ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ peace then we have ░░░░░░░░ fostered that that peace ░░░░░░░░ sustainable will never ever ░░░░░░░░ challenged again And yes ░░░░░░░░ full NATO membership is ░░░░░░░░ the easiest outcome But ░░░░░░░░ exactly the outcome is ░░░░░░░░ has to be clear ░░░░░░░░ is sustainable And finally ░░░░░░░░ this we have to ░░░░░░░░ clear that Vladimir Vladimirovich ░░░░░░░░ has no veto and ░░░░░░░░ no vote on whoever ░░░░░░░░ join NATO in the ░░░░░░░░ Only if he wants ░░░░░░░░ join NATO but I ░░░░░░░░ t think he wants ░░░░░░░░ and he has nothing ░░░░░░░░ say about it We ░░░░░░░░ to be very clear.”