Brussels, April 4 (EFE).– NATO allies on Friday urged Russia to unconditionally accept a ceasefire in Ukraine, stressing that Moscow must respond promptly to a US-led diplomatic initiative to restart peace talks.
“Obviously, now the ball is in the Russian court. So we have to see what happens. But I do not want to interfere in those talks by having my comments from Brussels, to which they then have to react,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told a press conference wrapping up two days of meetings of the alliance’s foreign ministers.
Rutte praised Washington’s efforts to break the ime in Ukraine and involve both European allies and Ukrainian officials. “They are directly affected, and it is their country,” he said.
He reiterated that the United States, along with its allies, still views Russia as the greatest threat to the alliance.
“Absolutely, and it was reconfirmed in Washington in 2024,” he replied to the question of whether NATO, including the US, still stands united behind its 2022 assessment that Russia remains “the greatest threat” to the alliance’s security.
Waiting for Moscow
Several NATO ministers insisted that Moscow cannot indefinitely delay its response to the proposed ceasefire .
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected to know “soon enough” whether Russia is genuinely interested in peace.
“We will know…in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are,” Rubio said at the end of the meeting.
“If this is dragging things out, President Trump’s not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking alongside his British counterpart, David Lammy, said Russia “owes an answer to the United States,” which has “worked very hard to come up with a mediation effort and a ceasefire proposal.”
“They need to answer. Yes or no. And they need to do it quickly,” Barrot stressed.
Barrot accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “procrastinating” and avoiding peace talks. “Our responsibility as Ukraine’s allies is to increase the pressure on Putin to bring him to the negotiating table.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, who also attended the meeting, said Ukraine was not the obstacle to peace. “The ball is now in Russia’s court.”
He said it was “clear who wants peace and who wants war,” calling for additional pressure on Russia to end its invasion.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares echoed that view. “Ukraine has demonstrated its willingness for peace,” and now “it’s up to Russia to decide whether it wants peace or to continue its war of aggression.”
“Russia must say yes to the ceasefire on the table within a reasonable timeframe. We can’t wait forever,” Albares added.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna criticized Putin for “asking for more and laying out new conditions” instead of engaging in talks. “There have to be red lines.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that Russia has not renounced its military goals. “Unless we do our part in defense spending, we will be under threat ourselves.”
Defense Spending Rises
The ministers also discussed raising the alliance’s collective defense spending target from 2 percent of GDP to a potential range of 3 percent–3.5 percent.
Rutte urged allies to keep tensions over US tariffs separate from defense coordination, though he acknowledged that economic constraints such as inflation and slow growth could impact contributions.
Rubio reiterated the US push for a 5 percent defense spending benchmark. “I am not saying from today to tomorrow, but we believe NATO allies should move toward that target to meet the challenges ahead.”
He said defense investments were trending upward across the alliance. “With a couple of exceptions, most countries are spending more today than they were three, four, or five years ago. The trend is positive. But it must continue.” EFE
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