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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday on an unannounced visit, Ukraine’s national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said. The visit came close on the heels of a series of large-scale, deadly Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
Ukrzaliznytsia announced Rutte’s arrival at the Kyiv railway station in a social media post, describing the visit as a show of solidarity and support for Ukraine.
“Today at the Kyiv railway station, we are gladly welcoming NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte,” the railway operator said.
Ukrzaliznytsia said Rutte’s visit was important for Ukraine as the country continues to face Russian attacks.
“This visit is extremely important, just like all the previous ones, because it is a gesture of solidarity and support from the Alliance for our country,” the operator said.
The visit came after a series of large-scale fatal Russian attacks on Kyiv.
Rutte’s arrival was not announced in advance.
Rutte has previously asked NATO allies to devote 0.25% of their gross domestic product to Ukraine as part of efforts to ease tensions within the alliance over aid to Kyiv.
The proposal was raised at a closed-door meeting of NATO ambassadors late last month as part of preparations for the alliance’s July summit in Türkiye.
“Rutte and many of us want to make sure the support for Ukraine is consistent and predictable,” one NATO diplomat said.
The proposal could unlock tens of billions of dollars in additional aid for Ukraine but is already facing resistance from some major NATO members.
If approved, annual aid flows to Ukraine would effectively triple to $143 billion, based on NATO’s estimate of combined alliance GDP.
Last year, Ukraine received $45 billion in security aid from its allies, including weapons purchases, investments in Ukrainian defense companies and NATO-led efforts to buy U.S. weapons for Kyiv.
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