NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks at a press conference following a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday 4 December 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO’s secretary general says he wants to discuss ways to put Ukraine in a strong position for future peace talks with Russia during a meeting Wednesday with Ukraine’s president and a small number of European leaders.

But Mark Rutte appeared frustrated by growing speculation in NATO capitals about when those peace talks could begin and whether European peacekeepers might participate, saying that talking about it publicly made the game of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet NATO’s top civilian official at his residence in Brussels. European Union leaders meet separately for a summit with their Western Balkan counterparts. Rutte therefore declared that he wanted to obtain “a few of them” to discuss Ukraine. He did not name them.

Rutte said Zelensky’s goal was to “discuss everything that concerns Ukraine at the moment, and how to ensure that we can do as much as possible to put them in a strong position so that one day, when he decides, to enter into negotiations with the Russians on the way to end this.”

In discussions with the leaders of Ukraine’s European supporters, Rutte said the focus would be on “What can we do to bring more air defense and other weapons to Ukraine, and this is urgently needed.”

Senior EU officials will join them to explore ways to further support Ukraine’s war-ravaged economy.

Rutte said the terms of any peace talks should depend on Ukraine, Russia and all other players at the negotiating table. “If we start talking now among ourselves about what a deal could look like, we will make it easier for the Russians. » he said.

Zelensky announced on Telegram that he would speak with the leaders of the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland and representatives of the United Kingdom. United. He is also due to attend a European summit on Thursday.

“Europe needs a strong and united position to guarantee lasting peace. Every fundamental issue affecting Europe – and ending Russia’s war against Ukraine is undoubtedly one of them – requires coordinated and effective work by European countries. Zelensky wrote.