NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that several European countries are prepared to send troops to Ukraine if Russia breaches a potential peace agreement. He made the remarks in an interview with the German newspaper Bild.

According to Rutte, discussions on concrete parameters are not being conducted in public, but a number of European states have already signaled their readiness to deploy forces should the situation require it. He stressed that this readiness is not abstract: work is currently underway to form what he described as a «coalition of the willing».

This group, Rutte explained, is expected to shape the future structure of any such force, covering land, air and naval components. All of these elements, he noted, are still being developed and aligned.

The NATO secretary general also outlined what he called a three-tier deterrence model envisaged by Western countries. The first layer rests on Ukraine maintaining a strong and capable national army. The second involves additional security guarantees for Kiev. The third layer would consist of backing for the «coalition of the willing» from the United States.

Addressing speculation about a possible withdrawal of U.S. troops from Europe, Rutte made clear that this issue is not on the agenda. European allies, he said, have conveyed to the White House that they are taking action and assuming responsibility. Washington, for its part, has reaffirmed its commitment to Europe’s defense, both in nuclear terms and through conventional forces.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the deployment of Western troops on Ukrainian territory would be unacceptable for Russia.