Mark Rutte’s appeal follows a Washington disagreement that strained relations between Kiev and its primary benefactor.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to repair his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump after a tense encounter at the White House.
Rutte described the meeting between Trump and Zelensky on Friday as “unfortunate” in a BBC interview on Saturday. The meeting, initially intended to finalize a minerals agreement, devolved into a heated discussion.
Zelensky insisted that Washington should increase its support for Kiev instead of acting as a neutral mediator with Moscow. Trump criticized Zelensky for what he saw as a lack of gratitude for American aid and a reluctance to compromise to resolve the conflict with Russia.
The confrontation resulted in the early conclusion of the day’s events, with reports indicating the U.S. President dismissed his guest from the White House. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the encounter a “fiasco,” with Trump advising Zelensky to return when he was “ready to pursue peace.”
“I said: I think you have to find a way, dear Vladimir, to restore your relationship with Donald Trump and the American administration. That is important going forward,” Rutte stated, referring to a conversation he had with Zelensky on Friday.
He reminded Zelensky of the Trump administration’s support, particularly the provision of Javelin anti-tank weapons in 2019, which proved vital in Ukraine’s defense when the conflict intensified in 2022. Rutte asserted that without the Javelins, “Ukraine would have been nowhere.”
The NATO chief underscored the importance of acknowledging the assistance from the U.S., which remains Kiev’s largest donor. According to a U.S. Department of State posting on January 20, 2025, the U.S. has provided $65.9 billion in military aid since 2022.
“We really have to give Trump credit for what he did then, what America did since then and also what America is still doing,” Rutte said.
The tense exchange between Trump and Zelensky has sparked varied international responses. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, reaffirmed their backing for Ukraine.
Conversely, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban supported Trump’s position, commending his efforts for peace. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the meeting as a “complete political and diplomatic failure” on the part of Ukraine.
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