[Jimbuna]

NATO is not participating in negotiations to end war in Ukraine - Rutte

The North Atlantic Alliance is not involved in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in an interview with NV, Censor.NET reports.

"... we as NATO are not involved in these negotiations. They are really led by the United States together with Ukraine and the Russians. I am glad that the US has moved this issue forward, and these talks are now underway," he said.

Rutte noted that the talks are moving slowly, not because of Ukraine but because of Russia, and "the ball is clearly in Russia's court now."

The Secretary General also emphasized that NATO, as a separate organization, has no "red lines" in the negotiations, as it is not a party to this process.

I think that NATO does not have its own red lines because we are not part of this process. But, of course, in general, we want Ukraine to be a proud sovereign state moving forward. This is what we all want. It has to be a just and lasting peace. Putin should never try to do this again," he added. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3545225

French and British Chiefs of Staff Burkhardt and Radakin meet with Zelenskyy, Umerov, and Syrskyi. PHOTOS

The Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhardt, and his UK counterpart, Admiral Anthony Radakin, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in Kyiv.

According to Censor.NET, General Burkhardt reported this on social network X.

"Kyiv. Meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, along with my colleague Admiral Anthony Radakin," the post reads.

According to Burkhardt, the purpose of the meetings is to:

maintaining strong support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which allows them to continue their fight;
defining a long-term strategy for the restoration and transformation of the army model, which is the main guarantee of the country's security;
discussing options for security guarantees developed by France and the UK as part of the international coalition to support Ukraine after the ceasefire.

"Together, we are committed to guaranteeing a sustainable and lasting peace in Ukraine - a prerequisite for the security of the European continent," the General added.

On 4 April, representatives of France, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine met in Kyiv to discuss the deployment of a military contingent. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that consultations would continue.

Peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
Earlier, it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron would discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine if an agreement is reached to end the current phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk denied that Polish troops would be sent to Ukraine after the ceasefire.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, assessed the possibility of sending a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crozetto expressed his readiness to support a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine if peace is achieved.

In turn, Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, called these discussions "premature".

Germany, together with its partners, will consider the possible deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of "security guarantees" only after the conditions for this are created, namely a ceasefire with Russia.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that several countries are currently considering participation in a potential Western allied contingent in Ukraine. However, specific plans for the deployment of foreign troops are still under discussion. Source: https://censor.net/en/p3545216