NATO secretary general visits Kyiv

Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general, traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday for meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, according to NATO and the Ukrainian presidency. NATO said Rutte arrived with the North Atlantic Council, the alliance’s main political decision-making body, for what it described as the first-ever NATO-Ukraine Council meeting held in Kyiv. Zelenskyy and Rutte also appeared together in a public joint press conference that NATO posted online on June 3. The visit was paired with a memorial ceremony in central Kyiv. Ukraine’s presidency said Zelenskyy and Rutte laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance near St. Michael’s Cathedral and were joined by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, and permanent representatives and deputy permanent representatives of all 32 NATO member states. (nato.int) ### Why was this Kyiv trip different from earlier NATO visits? NATO said June 3 marked the first time the NATO-Ukraine Council had met in Kyiv. In a media advisory issued before the event, the alliance said the North Atlantic Council and Rutte were traveling to the Ukrainian capital to take part in that meeting, alongside separate talks with Zelenskyy, Sybiha and Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. (president.gov.ua) Rutte underscored that point in his opening remarks. “I also brought with me the whole North Atlantic Council, for our historic first NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv,” he said at the joint press conference with Zelenskyy. NATO’s news release called the visit “a strong sign of NATO’s continued support for Ukraine.” (nato.int) ### What did Rutte say alongside Zelenskyy? Rutte used the Kyiv appearance to restate NATO’s backing for Ukraine and to condemn Russia’s attacks. He said Russia’s aggression “continues unabated” and accused Moscow of bombarding civilians and civilian infrastructure. He also said NATO’s “resolve in defending ourselves and continuing to support Ukraine in the face of this threat is unshaken.” (nato.int) At the same press conference, Rutte said Russia’s losses were “over 30,000 per month” and described the pressure on Moscow as part of an effort to bring Russia to negotiations. He said NATO wanted “a negotiated peace” and told Zelenskyy that “it’s clear that you’re really pressing for peace.” (nato.int) ### What public evidence confirms the visit happened in Kyiv on June 3? NATO published a transcript dated June 3 of a “Joint press conference by the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.” NATO also posted a news item and media assets from the Kyiv visit the same day. (nato.int) YouTube carried a video labeled “NATO Secretary General with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv, 03 JUN 2026,” describing it as a joint press conference in Kyiv on June 3. NATO’s advisory said video, pictures and a transcript would be made available after the event. ### Who else took part in the Kyiv program? Ukraine’s presidency said representatives of NATO’s North Atlantic Council joined the memorial ceremony for fallen Ukrainian service members. (nato.int) The Ukrainian statement named Sybiha and Cavo Dragone and said the delegation included permanent representatives and deputy permanent representatives from all 32 NATO states. (youtube.com) NATO’s photo and event pages also showed Rutte, Zelenskyy, Sybiha and Cavo Dragone taking part in the wreath-laying and council events in Kyiv. ### What comes next after the June 3 appearance? NATO said on June 3 that material from the visit, including the press conference transcript, photographs and video, would be posted on its website and multimedia portal. (president.gov.ua) The alliance’s advisory listed the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, Rutte’s talks with Zelenskyy, and meetings with Sybiha and Fedorov as the day’s formal program in Kyiv. (nato.int 1) (nato.int 2)