NATO secretary general arrives in Kyiv, addresses parliament

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv and addressed the Verkhovna Rada during his visit.

First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniyenko said this at the opening of the parliamentary session on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Announcing the address, Korniyenko stressed that the visit demonstrated support for Ukraine and sent a powerful signal of unity.

From the parliamentary rostrum, Rutte said that it was a great honor for him to be present in the very heart of a living, democratic Ukraine. He noted that the Ukrainian nation is fighting with great toughness and courage, and stressed that members of parliament represent a nation that continues to work even amid daily bombardments.

Read also: Support for Ukraine to be on agenda of NATO summit in Turkey – Rutte's deputy

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian defenders at Independence Square in Kyiv.

Rutte last visited Ukraine in April 2025, when he and President Zelensky visited a military hospital and the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, which had been damaged by Russian shelling.