Introduction:
Good morning from Davos, where the third full day of the World Economic Forun is getting underway.
The head of NATO is calling on world leaders to “step up, not scale back” support for Ukraine, so that it can reach eventual peace talks with Russia in the best state possible.
Mark Rutte says it is important to “change the trajectory of the war”, warning that the front line is moving in the wrong direction.
Rutte says there are three important reasons to do this.
Firstly, for Ukraine itself. Rutte says we cannot allow one country invades another country and try to colonize it, in the 21st century.
Secondly, because China, North Korea, Iran and Russia are working together. A ‘bad deal’, would mean the President of Russia “high-fiving” with the leaders of North Korea, Iran and China, Rutte says.
And thirdly, because if Ukraine were to lose the war, Nato members would face “trillions” of extra spending to bolster their military, a “much, much higher price” than is being contemplated today.
Rutte adds that there is a commitment that Ukraine will become a member of Nato.
And if Vladimir Putin can be brought to the negotiating table, the important thing is to ensure a “sustainable peace”, Rutte says, and not repeat the peace talks of Minsk in 2014
For it to be sustainable, we have to make sure that Putin will never, ever, ever again try to get a square kilometer of Ukraine in the future.
Rutte is speaking at a breakfast organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Davos.
Pinchuk, the Ukrainian businessman and oligarch, explains that he loves it when the US president, or other leaders, talk about putting their country first.
If you put the interest of your country first, then it means national security is an absolute priority.
But that means you must not let our crazy, terrible enemy win in Ukraine.
Pinchuk adds that if that happens (and he believes it ‘definitely’ won’t), it would severely damage the national interest of other countries.
Also coming up today
There is a populist feel to Davos today. Even though he’s not attending this year, Donald Trump has loomed over Davos. And at 5pm local time the new president will deliver remarks to delegates via a live video link.
Before that we’ll hear from Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, and also receive a messsage from the Pope.
The agenda
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7.30am CET / 6.30am GMT: Davos Ukrainian Breakfast
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9.30am CET / 8.30am GMT: A special message from Pope Francis, delivered by Cardinal Turkson
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10.15am CET / 9.15am GMT: Special address by Javier Milei, President of Argentina
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11.30am CET / 10.30am GMT: A debate on tariffs
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1.15pm CET / 12.15pm GMT: A session on action on Antimicrobial Resistance
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3pm CET / 2pm GMT: A session on Global Risks 2025
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4.15pm CET / 3.15pm GMT: A session on Can National Security Keep Up with AI?
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5pm CET / 4pm GMT: Special Address and Dialogue with Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America
Key events
Mark Rutte acknowledges that Richard Grenell has a point!
The problem with funding is not the US, the problem is Europe, the NATO chief says:
“The problem, and president Trump has consistently made this point, is that in Europe, we are underspending in terms of defense.”
Not all members are meeting the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence, he points out, despite a recent pick-up in military spending.
The second problem is that 2% is “not nearly enough”
Rutte warns that NATO, collectively, will not able to defend itself in four or five years if we stick to the 2%.
US envoy Grenell: NATO members must pay their fair share
The new US presidential envoy for special missions has pushed back against Mark Rutte’s talk about Ukraine joining Nato, pointing out many members of the alliance aren’t paying their “fair share” already.
Richard Grenell, appointed by Donald Trump in December, says it is “pretty shocking” that so many foreign ministers in Europe, and so many American politicians, didn’t try to stop the Russia-Ukraine war, and criticises Joe Biden’s handling of the situation.
Grenell warns that “you’re going to run into a big buzz saw in America” if we have the NATO secretary general talking about adding Ukraine to NATO, when the American people are the ones that are paying for the defence.
Grenell declares:
You cannot ask the American people to expand the umbrella of NATO when the current members aren’t paying their fair share, and that includes the Dutch, who need to step up.
[that’s a pop at Rutte, the former prime minister of the Netherlands]
.@RichardGrenell, after Rutte talks about bringing Ukraine into NATO, says allies will run into a U.S. “buzz saw” if that’s a key goal of peace talks.
“You cannot ask the American people to expand the umbrella of NATO when the current members aren’t paying their fair share.”
— Alex Ward (@alexbward) January 23, 2025
Moments earlier, Grenell, who is a key diplomat in the Trump admin, said “We find it pretty shocking that there are so many foreign ministers in Europe, so many American politicians at the time who just didn’t try to stop the war.”
Argued for talks with Putin to end the war.
— Alex Ward (@alexbward) January 23, 2025
NATO chief Mark Rutte then warns that he sees too many politicians, both inside and outside Ukraine, discussing what peace talks would mean for the territory that Russia has captured, and for NATO membership for Ukraine.
The risk here is that we start to negotiate with Putin without the Russian president actually being at the table, Rutte says.
And the risk is that Putin sits in his reclining chair in Moscow, just ticking boxes…
Rutte reiterates that the focus must be to bring Ukraine to peace talks in the “best possible position”, so that peace is sustainable, and will never be challenged again.
Full NATO membership for Ukraine is then the easiest outcome, he argues.
And Rutte insists that Putin must not have a veto on who joins Nato – unless he wants to, of course, although that is not likely.
Introduction:
Good morning from Davos, where the third full day of the World Economic Forun is getting underway.
The head of NATO is calling on world leaders to “step up, not scale back” support for Ukraine, so that it can reach eventual peace talks with Russia in the best state possible.
Mark Rutte says it is important to “change the trajectory of the war”, warning that the front line is moving in the wrong direction.
Rutte says there are three important reasons to do this.
Firstly, for Ukraine itself. Rutte says we cannot allow one country invades another country and try to colonize it, in the 21st century.
Secondly, because China, North Korea, Iran and Russia are working together. A ‘bad deal’, would mean the President of Russia “high-fiving” with the leaders of North Korea, Iran and China, Rutte says.
And thirdly, because if Ukraine were to lose the war, Nato members would face “trillions” of extra spending to bolster their military, a “much, much higher price” than is being contemplated today.
Rutte adds that there is a commitment that Ukraine will become a member of Nato.
And if Vladimir Putin can be brought to the negotiating table, the important thing is to ensure a “sustainable peace”, Rutte says, and not repeat the peace talks of Minsk in 2014
For it to be sustainable, we have to make sure that Putin will never, ever, ever again try to get a square kilometer of Ukraine in the future.
Rutte is speaking at a breakfast organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Davos.
Pinchuk, the Ukrainian businessman and oligarch, explains that he loves it when the US president, or other leaders, talk about putting their country first.
If you put the interest of your country first, then it means national security is an absolute priority.
But that means you must not let our crazy, terrible enemy win in Ukraine.
Pinchuk adds that if that happens (and he believes it ‘definitely’ won’t), it would severely damage the national interest of other countries.
Also coming up today
There is a populist feel to Davos today. Even though he’s not attending this year, Donald Trump has loomed over Davos. And at 5pm local time the new president will deliver remarks to delegates via a live video link.
Before that we’ll hear from Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, and also receive a messsage from the Pope.
The agenda
-
7.30am CET / 6.30am GMT: Davos Ukrainian Breakfast
-
9.30am CET / 8.30am GMT: A special message from Pope Francis, delivered by Cardinal Turkson
-
10.15am CET / 9.15am GMT: Special address by Javier Milei, President of Argentina
-
11.30am CET / 10.30am GMT: A debate on tariffs
-
1.15pm CET / 12.15pm GMT: A session on action on Antimicrobial Resistance
-
3pm CET / 2pm GMT: A session on Global Risks 2025
-
4.15pm CET / 3.15pm GMT: A session on Can National Security Keep Up with AI?
-
5pm CET / 4pm GMT: Special Address and Dialogue with Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America
