NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned Russia on Wednesday that the alliance would always stand by Poland or any other member and that its reaction to an attack would be “devastating.”

Rutte spoke during a visit to Warsaw, the Polish capital, in brief comments made alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Tusk said it was important to be prepared for any outcome of talks between Russia and the United States aimed at ending t he 3-year-old war in Ukraine.

NATO members along the eastern flank of the 32-member alliance, particularly Poland and the Baltic states, are extremely worried that the talks could end with a settlement that is favorable to Russia. They fear such an outcome would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to rebuild his country’s forces and threaten other countries in the region in the coming years.

Rutte said that neither Putin nor anyone else should assume they could get away with something like that.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers an address to the nation in Moscow on March 23, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images))

Trump said during a recent meeting with Rutte at the White House that he does not believe that a peace settlement for Ukraine would lead to Russia attacking other countries.

Trump said that he does not believe a peace settlement for Ukraine would lead to Russia threatening other countries.

Rutte has in the past warned that Russia could be capable of launching an attack again on European soil by the end of the decade.

“Let’s not forget that Russia is and is remaining the most significant and dark threat to our alliance. Let’s not forget that Russia is moving into a wartime economy, and that will have a huge impact on their capacity and capability to build their armed forces,” Rutte said Wednesday.