NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was "cautiously optimistic" about progress towards peace in Ukraine, but that Russia must take "the necessary next steps."
"I remain cautiously optimistic that if the Russians are also willing to cooperate, and not just the Ukrainians... some breakthroughs can be achieved in the next few weeks," Rutte said at a NATO meeting in Turkey.
Rutte spoke ahead of potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey, which are being encouraged by US President Donald Trump.
"Ukraine is ready to commit to a ceasefire and immediate negotiations. That is absolutely clear. The ball is now in Russia's court," he said, quoted by AFP.
"They have to explain what they are doing, why they are here or why they are not, with what team or whatever," the NATO secretary general added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have rejected Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for a meeting in Istanbul.
Rutte said that Russia was sending "a lower-level delegation to Turkey for these peace talks."
"It is now up to the Russians to take the necessary next steps," he said. | BGNES