Brussels/Washington: NATO chief Mark Rutte has advised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to restore ties with US President Donald Trump.
The statement came as Zelensky and Trump’s meeting at the White House turned tense and differences between the two leaders over the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war came to the fore.
Mark Rutte said in an interview with the BBC that he told Zelensky that Trump had played an important role for Ukraine, especially by providing the Juvelin anti-tank weapons in 2019 that allowed Ukraine to resist the Russian invasion.
The NATO chief added that the United States is playing an important role for Ukraine, Europe and world peace, and everyone must find a path to a lasting peace together.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Zelensky to apologize for the dispute with Trump. Rubio said in an interview with CNN that Zelensky should have known that the meeting would end in tension.
Rubio added that Zelensky needs to think about whether he really wants an end to the war.
