Putin has no right to veto any country's NATO accession, NATO Secretary General says

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NATO Chief Mark Rutte said on Jan. 23 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no authority to influence NATO's future membership decisions.

“We must clearly understand that Vladimir Putin has no veto power and no say over who will join NATO in the future. Unless, of course, he himself wants to join NATO, but I don't think he wants that,” Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

He emphasized that Ukraine's full NATO membership is the best guarantee for lasting peace.

“Whatever the outcome, it must be clear that peace is sustainable… when they (negotiations) end, we must be confident that the peace we collectively supported will be enduring and will never be questioned again,” he said.

Rutte also highlighted the need to avoid repeating the failures of the Minsk agreements and stressed the importance of ensuring Ukraine is in the strongest possible position before any future negotiations with Russia.

Earlier in the day, Rutte called on the United States to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, pledging that Europe will shoulder the financial burden.

Nearly 3,000 representatives from over 130 countries, including 60 heads of state and government, 900 CEOs of the world’s leading companies, and forum partners, are expected to attend the forum in 2025.