Rutte: War in Ukraine Likely to End in a Peace Deal, Not a Victory for Either Side

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with Bloomberg that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022, is unlikely to end with a victory for either side. NATO is the military alliance of North American and European states, which includes Latvia. His comments matter because they show how the alliance's leadership sees the possible end of the war and the security risks that could follow in Europe.

Asked whether anyone would win the war, Rutte answered briefly that he did not think it very likely. In his words, wars of this kind always end in a peace deal, which is often a kind of compromise.

Warning about the Russian army

Rutte stressed that Europe must remain vigilant about the possibility of Russian aggression even after the war eventually ends. At present, he said, the Russian threat does not manifest directly at NATO's borders because many Russian soldiers are occupied in Ukraine. But once the war is over, he argued, Russia's huge army will not exist simply to be a huge army.

Other leaders' assessments

Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda recalled that Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem earlier said he believes Russia will inevitably "test" another country regardless of how the war ends. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has spoken with Rutte about the security situation in Eastern Europe and developments on the battlefield. On 28 August, Tusk pointed to signs that Russia is seriously preparing for an escalation and suggested the next seven to eight months could be critical for the security of Ukraine, Poland and the wider region.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, meanwhile, has expressed doubt that Russia would attack "the most powerful military alliance in the world", NATO.