NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that Ukraine was not yet in a strong position to begin peace talks with Russia ahead of President-elect Trump taking office next week with a pledge to end the war.

Rutte told the European Parliament's foreign affairs and defense committees the hope was to ensure Ukraine has adequate security guarantees so that Russia could not attack again, but expressed doubt that the current stage of the war afforded the opportunity for such a deal.

"At this moment, clearly, Ukraine is not there," he said.........

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