NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte denied that Ukraine was ever promised NATO membership as part of a potential peace deal, clarifying that no such agreement exists. "It has never been said before, and not even in that Washington summit statement, that when a peace deal would be done on Ukraine, that in that peace deal, it should be NATO, full stop. That is not the case," Rutte told reporters at the Munich Security Conference on Friday. He stressed that NATO membership has never been assured as an outcome for Ukraine, emphasizing a step-by-step approach in dealing with the ongoing conflict. According to Rutte, the first priority is to put Ukraine in a position of strength and secure a deal that prevents Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching further aggression The NATO chief also urged European allies to increase military spending, warning that the current level of investment is insufficient to guarantee security over the next five years. "It is absolutely clear, if we stick with the current numbers, we will not get there. We will not be safe (for) four or five years," Rutte said. He called on European nations to take the lead in shaping the continent's security framework, stating that Europe must come up with concrete plans to enhance military aid and training for Ukraine. "We need to create effects on the ground, create effects in terms of the plans, so that we get a seat at the table," he added. Rutte also expressed his concern over Thursday's attack in Munich, where a car plowed into a crowd of demonstrators in the city center, injuring multiple people. "We hope that it will be clear what happened," he said, offering his sympathies to the victims and wishing them a speedy recovery. German authorities reported that the suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan national, was quickly apprehended by police at the scene. Investigations into the incident are ongoing. — Agencies
