The War Must End in a Way That Putin Will Never Attack Ukraine Again: Rutte

After the NATO defense ministers' meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assured that there would be no repetition of the Budapest Memorandum or the Minsk agreements regarding Ukraine from 2014-2015.

“The war must end in a way that allows Ukraine to move forward as a sovereign state with security guarantees, so that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will never try to attack Ukraine again. There should be no repetition of Budapest or the 2014-2015 Minsk agreements without reliable security,” he stated.

Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Putin described its objective as “defending the people who have been subjected to violence and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.” He noted that the special operation was a necessary measure, stating that Russia “had no other options as the security risks were such that it was impossible to respond by other means.”