NATO chief pledges instant troop deployment to Ukraine after peace deal

Wednesday 04 - 08:20

By: Dakir Madiha

NATO chief pledges instant troop deployment to Ukraine after peace deal

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, hours after Russia unleashed its most devastating attack of the year on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without heat amid sub-zero temperatures dipping below minus 20 degrees Celsius. His visit coincided with upcoming Ukrainian and Russian negotiators heading to Abu Dhabi for U.S.-mediated peace talks scheduled for Wednesday.

Speaking before Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada parliament, Rutte delivered a stark message: Russian strikes like the previous night's assault show no serious commitment to peace. He outlined robust security guarantees, pledging that allied ground, air, and naval forces would deploy to Ukraine "instantly" upon signing a peace agreement. This commitment bolsters the "coalition of the willing" framework from recent Paris summits.

"Once a peace deal is signed, armed forces will appear immediately, planes will be in the air, and there will be naval support from NATO countries willing to participate," Rutte told lawmakers. He stressed that any settlement requires "real force," drawing a clear line from failed past pacts like the Budapest Memorandum and Minsk agreements.

The overnight barrage involved over 70 missiles and around 450 drones targeting power and heating plants across regions, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine's largest private energy firm DTEK reported severe damage to thermal plants operating in heating mode, the ninth major hit in four months. In Kyiv, emergency blackouts struck Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts, while over 1,000 residential buildings lost heat. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strikes aimed to maximize harm during extreme cold, prompting authorities to drain coolant from 820 buildings to avert wider grid failures.

Rutte inspected a damaged thermal plant in Kyiv alongside Ukraine's Energy Minister, witnessing destruction that Zelensky called a violation of a U.S.-negotiated pause on energy infrastructure attacks. He highlighted NATO's ongoing aid, noting allies supplied about 75% of all Patriot missiles to Ukraine and 90% for other air defense systems since last summer via the priority needs initiative. Rutte expressed confidence in $15 billion in allied pledges for 2026, urging members to dig deeper into stocks while calling out uneven contributions and praising efforts from Nordic countries, Baltic states, Netherlands, Canada, and Germany.

At a joint press conference, Zelensky, standing with Rutte, pressed for more Patriot missiles and European production licenses for U.S. air defense systems. "What Russia is doing always clearly shows its intentions," Zelensky said, labeling the attack a deliberate breach of commitments to the U.S. side.