The Guardian reports.Rutte stressed that any lasting peace requires strengthening Ukraine’s military and securing guarantees from Europe and the United States, which are “being defined right now.”However, he added that “the bad news is we are still at the early stage of all of this,” while praising Trump once again for the process he’s made since his coming to the office.According to Rutte, diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine are moving along two main directions: crafting security guarantees for Kyiv and arranging a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.The NATO chief emphasized that a lot of work is being done so that, when Ukraine enters into these bilateral or trilateral talks, it will have unwavering support. This ensures that Russia adheres to any deal reached and can never again threaten Ukrainian territory after such an agreement.Turkish President Erdogan said he spoke with Putin in China and Zelenskyy by phone about ending the war but noted both sides are "not yet ready" for a leaders' meeting.