KYIV, Ukraine: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday that allied forces would deploy to Ukraine “instantly” after a peace agreement with Russia.
Speaking in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Rutte said ground, air and naval forces from countries in the “coalition of the willing” would move into Ukraine as soon as a deal is signed.
“As soon as a peace deal is signed, there will instantly appear armed forces, planes in the sky, and maritime support from those in NATO who have agreed,” Rutte said, according to remarks broadcast from the session.
He stressed that Ukraine remained central to NATO’s security thinking despite other global crises.
“Our attention is not diverted from Ukraine,” he said. “Ukraine has been and remains at the centre of our security thoughts.”
Military support and missile supplies
Rutte said NATO maintains daily contact with Ukraine and continues to supply military equipment to help Kyiv defend itself.
He said about 75% of missiles delivered for use at the front and around 90% of missiles used for air defence had reached Ukraine through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a key coordination mechanism for allied military aid.
“Through the PURL mechanism, millions of euros are received from allies and partners,” Rutte said, adding that deliveries were ongoing.
PURL serves as the main reference document for the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, known as the Ramstein format, which brings together defence ministers from more than 50 countries.
Rutte acknowledged that not all NATO members contribute equally.
“Some allies are doing a lot, a lot are doing something and some are doing not much,” he said, calling for a fairer sharing of the burden.
Sweden and Denmark announce new aid
Meanwhile, Sweden and Denmark said they would jointly procure air defence systems for Ukraine worth 2.6 billion Swedish kronor (£213 million).
Sweden’s Defence Minister Pal Johnson said Stockholm would contribute 2.1 billion kronor to purchase Swedish-made Tridon air defence systems, while Denmark would provide about 500 million kronor.
“This means that Ukraine can develop an air defence battalion if they so wish,” Johnson said at a joint news conference.
He added that the deal would also strengthen Sweden’s defence production capacity.
Security guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said security guarantees were the most critical element of any future peace deal with Russia.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed a sufficiently large army, which he put at around 800,000 troops, and reiterated Kyiv’s ambition to join the European Union.
“The most important thing is what Europeans will be ready to do if Russia attacks us again, and what Americans will be ready to do in the same case,” Zelenskyy said.
“What are security guarantees for Ukraine and what do they mean.”
Peace talks
Rutte said Zelenskyy was ready to engage in peace negotiations but questioned Moscow’s intentions after recent Russian attacks.
“Zelenskyy is absolutely ready to play ball and come to a deal with the Russians,” Rutte said, adding that the strikes raised doubts about Russia’s seriousness.
US President Donald Trump has led efforts to broker an end to the war.
Russia, the United States and Ukraine are due to hold US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5, according to the Kremlin.
French President Emmanuel Macron said preparations were under way for possible talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said it had struck a Russian drone training and production centre in the Zaporizhzhia region.
