Washington, 25 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday said that Russia remains a long-term threat to the alliance, following talks with US President Donald Trump and senior members of the US administration in Washington.

"We all agree in NATO that Russia is a long-term threat to NATO territory – to the whole of the Euro-Atlantic territory," Rutte told reporters after the meeting at the White House.

When asked about the possibility of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Rutte said that there is "something on the table" now, adding that the ball is clearly in Russia's court.

Rutte expressed confidence that the United States would continue to play a central role in efforts to end the war.

"I'm not seeing a situation where the US is walking. I'm seeing a situation where under President Trump's leadership, this could be brought to a positive end, and that's very important," Rutte said.

Trump said on Wednesday that a deal with Russia was within reach, while claiming that dealing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been "harder" than with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US president has demanded that Kiev cede the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula and drop its bid for future NATO membership.

NATO leaders are due to gather on June 24–25 at a summit in The Hague.

MIA file photo