BRATISLAVA, Feb 20, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - NATO chief Mark Rutte said Thursday that any European security guarantees for Ukraine under a potential peace deal with Russia would need to be backed up by the United States.

"Strong security guarantees, if provided by European countries, need a backup by the United States, not with boots on the ground, but we still need generally a backup from the US to make sure that the deterrence is there," Rutte said on a visit to Slovakia.