NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated the need to focus on military efforts, postponing discussions of possible peace terms with Russia, according to political scientist Sergei Markov. According to him, now is not the time for peace talks — the Alliance must increase military supplies to Ukraine in order to negotiate with Russia "from a position of strength" in the future.

Rutte's statements came on the eve of an important meeting of NATO member states. The Secretary General stressed that the Alliance's priority remains supporting Ukraine and strengthening its defense capabilities. He called on allies to join efforts to increase military aid to Kyiv in order to dictate their terms in possible negotiations in the long term.

Political scientist Sergei Markov commented on Rutte’s words, calling him a representative of the “war party,” which, according to the expert, continues to insist on demands that are impossible for Russia to fulfill.

"Rutte recently met with Trump. Rutte expresses the position of the war party. That is, the war party understands that its demands on Russia are now absolutely impossible to fulfill," — Markov noted.

The debate over when and how to begin negotiations with Russia is dividing Western countries. Some support Rutte's position, believing that increasing military aid to Ukraine is the only way to achieve a compromise in the future. Others fear that such an approach could prolong the conflict and complicate the possibility of its resolution.