Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, criticized NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte for his recent comments suggesting heightened risks to Europe and the US from Iran, China, and North Korea if the Ukraine conflict ends on Russia's terms.
"The new NATO secretary-general is attempting, in an unusual way, to set the agenda for the future US administration, claiming alignment with the elected president [Donald Trump]. His statements are nothing short of incitement to war by polarizing global politics," Baghaei wrote on X.
He further stated that Rutte’s behavior is "neither responsible nor constructive" and accused him of contributing to the instability spreading across Europe and the world due to "the selfish and hegemonic policies of certain NATO member states."
Baghaei’s remarks came in response to Rutte’s recent interview with the Financial Times. In it, Rutte warned that if Trump’s proposed resolution to the Ukraine conflict favors Russian interests, it could embolden leaders in China, Iran, and North Korea, increasing risks for Western nations. He claimed to have conveyed these concerns to Trump during their November 22 meeting in Florida.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously outlined conditions for resolving the Ukraine conflict. These include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas and Novorossiya, Kyiv’s renunciation of NATO membership, full protection of rights for Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine, the lifting of Western sanctions on Russia, and Ukraine adopting a non-aligned and non-nuclear status.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: sipo/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS