NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has set out a three-layer approach to long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, arguing that any future peace settlement must ensure Russia is unable to launch renewed aggression.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Poland with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Rutte said NATO’s priority remained deterrence on its eastern flank while preparations continued for post-war security arrangements for Ukraine.
The visit took place at Bemowo Piskie, home to NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Poland, led by the United States and supported by troops from Romania, Croatia, the UK and Poland. Rutte paid tribute to personnel deployed there over the holiday period, noting that they were “standing watch… keeping us all safe, and enhancing our deterrence and defence posture on NATO’s eastern flank.”
He highlighted Poland’s growing role within the alliance, praising Warsaw for investing more than 4.5% of GDP in defence, with that figure set to rise further in 2026. Poland is also preparing to receive F-35 fighter jets and plans to expand its armed forces to 300,000 personnel by 2035.
Rutte also underlined Poland’s contribution to supporting Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, noting that the country has provided more than €4 billion in military aid and hosts critical NATO logistics and training facilities. “Ukraine’s security is ours – Poland knows this well,” he said.
Asked about speculation surrounding potential alternatives to NATO membership for Ukraine, Rutte drew a clear distinction between principle and political reality. He reiterated that NATO had agreed last year on “the irreversible path of Ukraine into NATO”, but acknowledged that unanimity among allies was currently lacking.
“As we speak, a couple of Allies are saying they will not give their consent,” he said, citing Hungary, the United States and Slovakia among those withholding agreement.
In that context, Rutte explained that NATO and its partners were developing security guarantees designed to prevent a repeat of past ceasefire failures. He described a three-layer structure.
“Layer one is Ukrainian Armed Forces,” he said, stressing that Ukraine’s military would remain the first line of defence. “The second line of defence is… what the Coalition of the Willing, under the leadership of the United Kingdom and France, have been designing over the last couple of months.”
The third element, he added, would involve the United States. “The American president said in August that he wants the US to be part of those security guarantees,” Rutte said, noting that discussions were ongoing about what that involvement would entail.
He warned that any settlement must leave no ambiguity for Moscow. “Putin has to know that after a peace deal, if he will try to attack Ukraine again, the reaction will be devastating,” he said, adding that this principle was central to the design of the guarantees.
Rutte concluded by making clear NATO unity, pointing to recent operations such as Eastern Sentry and Baltic Sentry as evidence of a strengthened defensive posture. “Bottom line – NATO stands united and ready. To deter aggression and defend our freedom and security,” he said.