NATO Chief Hails Trump’s Role in Ukraine Peace Negotiations

By Michael Katz

In ongoing U.S.-brokered peace talks with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, significant diplomatic hurdles remain. According to reports circulating prior to a Wednesday meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels led by Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly deemed several proposals “absolutely unacceptable.” These efforts feature prominently as US special envoy Steve Witkoff continues direct negotiations with the Kremlin.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged this challenging environment during his address in Brussels, thanking Trump for his diplomatic contributions. He specifically noted that “President Donald Trump is the only political figure capable of bringing an end to the war in Ukraine,” a sentiment reflecting the administration’s initial 28-point peace plan which Russia reportedly received favorably.

While European leaders had previously developed counterproposals and announced they had created an “updated and refined peace framework” for ending the war, top Russian diplomat Yuri Ushakov stated Tuesday that both US and Ukrainian delegations are still far from reaching a solution.