The General Secretary of NATO has said that US President Donald Trump was the only person in the whole world who was able to break the deadlock over the war in Ukraine.
Mark Rutte was speaking to reporters in Brussels, where foreign ministers from NATO countries are meeting to discuss Washington's push to end the fighting in Ukraine.
It is their first meeting since the publication of a draft peace plan to end the Ukraine war amid deepening concerns about the alliance being sidelined in talks which have largely been led by US and Russian officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was not attending the meeting in Brussels.
In relation to peace in Ukraine, Mr Rutte said that NATO was closely coordinating with the US as well as other NATO allies.
He also said that two-thirds of NATO member states have committed to weapons for Ukraine through the so-called Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), which has received commitments worth $4 billion so far.
"We heard from Australia and New Zealand will also contribute to PURL, the first NATO partners to do so. And this means that allies and partners have already committed now really over $4 billion," Mr Rutte said.
Earlier, he said it was good that peace talks to end the war in Ukraine were ongoing, but that it was necessary to make sure Ukraine was in the strongest possible position.
"The peace talks are ongoing, that's good, but at the same time, we have to make sure that whilst they take place - and we are not sure when they will end - that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position to keep the fight going," Mr Rutte said.
A number of ministers said that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not appear so far to be willing to make any concessions at talks with Washington's representatives.
It comes after Mr Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner concluded five hours of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials.
Despite no apparent breakthrough, one senior Russian figure described the talks as productive.
"President Putin should end the bluster and the bloodshed and be ready to come to the table and to support a just and lasting peace for Ukraine," said British foreign minister Yvette Cooper.
They also pushed back against comments from the Russian president that he did not want conflict with Europe, but was "ready" for war.
"It's the rhetoric that Russia is making use of in order to intimidate us, and we shouldn't take such talks too seriously," said Finland's Elina Valtonen.
"We have very strong capabilities as NATO, as Europe, and we are ramping up by the day."
The initial 28-point peace plan, which has since been widely criticised as a Russian wish list, required a pledge that Ukraine would never join NATO and that there be no new NATO members from eastern Europe.
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There is deepening unease within NATO that the Trump administration is operating more as an arbitrator between Europe and Russia, and not as a member of the alliance itself.
Commenting yesterday on Mr Rubio's absence at today's meeting in Brussels, Mr Rutte said: "He's working extremely hard to take care not only of the situation of Ukraine, but of course many other issues which are on his plate.
"So I totally accept him not being able to be here ... and I would not read anything in it."
The NATO meeting comes a day after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was given a standing ovation while addressing a joint meeting of the Dáil and Seanad, in which he thanked Ireland for the assistance it has given his country and people since it was invaded by Russia almost four years ago.
Watch: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers address to Oireachtas
He thanked TDs and Senators for their "steadfast support" for Ukraine, adding that there is a "real chance" for peace if the whole world is prepared to seize it.
Additional reporting Tony Connelly
