NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte plans to use his visit to the US on Thursday, April 24, to emphasize the importance of supporting Ukraine in its fight for independence.

Sources indicate that Rutte intends to meet with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.

He will stress that any proposal for a peace agreement must consider Ukraine's interests; otherwise, it could lead to a strengthening of Russia, according to the publication's sources.

Furthermore, Rutte will highlight that pressuring Kyiv into an agreement favorable to Moscow would jeopardize the security of all of Europe, as stated by Financial Times.

One NATO diplomat remarked, "The key message is to make the Americans understand what is at stake."

He will also discuss how to better allocate the defense burden between the US and European military forces, as reported by FT sources.

According to media reports, the Trump administration handed Ukraine a one-page document last week in Paris, regarded as the "final proposal" for peace settlement, in which the US is prepared to recognize Russia's control over Crimea and ease sanctions.

President Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine does not recognize the Russian occupation of Crimea, which remains internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory.

The Financial Times notes that some European officials are concerned that the unilateral proposal from the Trump administration acknowledging Crimea as part of Russia could undermine transatlantic security and even derail the NATO summit scheduled for late June.