NATO chief urges Europe to act, not complain on Ukraine talks

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged European countries to contribute concrete proposals instead of lamenting their exclusion from potential Ukraine peace talks.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Rutte emphasised that Europe must ensure Ukraine is in "the best possible position during the peace talks."

“To my European friends, I say: Don’t complain about not being at the table. Get into the debate by offering concrete ideas," Rutte stated.

"Ramp up defence spending, maintain weapons and training support, and propose solutions—such as security guarantees,” he added.

Rutte's remarks came after European allies demanded that they be included in any peace negotiations after US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russia's Vladimir Putin and said Ukraine could neither have all of its lands back nor join NATO.

Trump has also been seeking repayment of the debt the US provided to Ukraine during the war against Russia.

The US president proposed Ukraine transfer 50% ownership of its rare earth minerals to the US in exchange for continued military and financial aid.

Rutte's remarks also came as the broader discussion at the conference shifted toward NATO’s role in the war and how the alliance can ensure Ukraine's long-term security.

US lawmakers highlight NATO’s role and past failures on Ukraine

Following Rutte’s comments, US lawmakers weighed in on NATO’s effectiveness and past missteps regarding Ukraine.

Senator Lindsey Graham stressed that NATO has “stood the test of time,” pointing out that no NATO country has ever been invaded by a foreign power. However, he acknowledged that allied nations failed Ukraine in 2014 by not integrating its economy or bolstering its military before Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

“We should have made it harder for Russia to invade,” Graham said. “Because we did not want to provoke Putin. Lesson learned: don’t worry about provoking Putin—worry about stopping him.”

Graham urged greater military support for Ukraine, arguing that Western hesitation could embolden Russia. “The best deterrence for the next decade is to build the most lethal Ukrainian army possible,” he added.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen reinforced the need for a strong NATO response, warning that adversaries like Russia and China are closely watching how the alliance handles Ukraine. “They will calibrate their next moves based on how strong they think we are,” she said.

Ukraine’s NATO membership remains a contentious issue

As discussions turned to Ukraine’s future security, Shaheen insisted that its potential NATO membership should remain on the table.

“We cannot start negotiations from a point of weakness,” she argued. “Ukraine must know it will be defended, whether through NATO membership or a multilateral security force.”

Graham echoed this sentiment but acknowledged the complexities of Ukraine joining NATO immediately. Instead, he proposed a firm warning to Moscow: “If Russia ever invades Ukraine again, that should trigger automatic NATO membership for Ukraine.”

“We should have done that in 2014,” he added, reflecting on past missed opportunities to deter Russian aggression.