NATO Secretary General Rutte said that Ukraine will have to make territorial compromises

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Ukraine will have to make territorial compromises in order to reach a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Russia.

RIA Novosti quotes his remarks made during a discussion with members of the European Parliament.

According to Rutte, the territorial issue is “very sensitive.” Ultimately, he believes only the Ukrainian government can make decisions on it.

“But for the Ukrainian government to be able to understand what they can accept in terms of a territorial compromise, it is critically important for them to know that the Russians will not try to attack Ukraine again in the future,” Rutte said.

On January 23–24, trilateral talks were held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, between representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States on a peaceful settlement of the conflict. According to Reuters, the territorial issue remains a key topic. CNN reported that in Abu Dhabi the sides were able to resolve several contentious issues not related to territory.

The New York Times also wrote that U.S. and Ukrainian representatives discussed deploying neutral forces as peacekeepers in Donbas. Politico noted that the trilateral talks were largely centered on economic cooperation.