NATO Secretary General warns Trump of "dire threat" if Ukraine signs bad peace deal

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned US President-elect Donald Trump of a "dire threat" from China, Iran and North Korea if Ukraine is pushed to sign a peace agreement on terms favourable to Russia.

Mark Rutte says in an interview with Financial Times deepening ties between US adversaries puts America at risk.

The NATO Secretary General also called on the newly elected president to remain in the Alliance and continue to support Ukraine.

Rutte also told Trump about the risks associated with Russia's supply of missile technology to North Korea and cash to Iran.

"Iran is getting money from Russia in return for, for example, missiles, but also drone technology. And the money is being used to prop up Hizbollah and Hamas, but also steering conflict beyond the region," Rutte said.

The NATO Secretary General also noted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping "might get thoughts about something else in the future if there is not a good deal [for Ukraine]," apparently hinting at Beijing's possible use of force against Taiwan.

"We cannot have a situation where we have [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un and the Russian leader and Xi Jinping and Iran high-fiving because we came to a deal which is not good for Ukraine, because long-term that will be a dire security threat not only to Europe but also to the US," Rutte stated.

Rutte also noted the need to strengthen Ukraine's military before potential peace talks.

"The most important thing now is to make sure that whenever Zelenskyy decides to get into peace talks, that he can do this from a position of strength. That for me is now priority number one," he added.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US President-elect Donald Trump met on Friday, 22 November, to discuss various global security issues.