North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte answered positively on Friday to a question about whether United States President Donald Trump took Ukraine joining the alliance "off the table."

Discussing the war in Ukraine and the recent negotiations between Kiev and Washington, and Moscow and Washington, Rutte told Bloomberg that this is a breakthrough. Talking about what could happen after the war ends, he shared that it would make sense for countries to rebuild ties with Russia. However, he cautioned that "we are absolutely not there yet" and that the world needs to continue pressuring Moscow until peace is achieved.

When asked whether NATO would be involved in the potential ceasefire, the secretary general said this would be "difficult," adding, however, that the organization might offer some advice to the parties involved. He also mentioned that he is "cautiously optimistic" that peace could potentially be reached in 2025.