Davos, 23 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte does not want to make Ukraine's potential membership of the defence alliance dependent on Russia's stance.

NATO must make it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no right of veto and no vote on who will join the alliance in the future, said Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

Ukraine will join NATO one day once there is sustainable peace, Rutte said at an event organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

To get there NATO must ensure that Putin will never try to conquer parts of Ukraine again and put Ukraine in the best possible position before peace talks begin, he said.

Rutte also reiterated his call for higher defence contributions by NATO allies.

Spending 2% of gross national product (GDP) on defence was not nearly enough, Rutte said, without giving a figure.

If allies do not increase their security expenditure, NATO will no longer be able to defend itself in four or five years' time, he stated.

US President Donald Trump recently called for the allies to spend 5% of their economic output on defence in the future. For Germany and many others, this would mean that they would have to more than double their defence spending.

MIA file photo