NATO Military Committee makes first Kyiv visit in eight years
Military representatives from all 32 NATO states met Ukraine's armed forces chief Mykhailo Drapatyi in Kyiv, the committee's first visit there in eight years.
Update ·
NATO's Kyiv visit coincided with Vladimir Putin's birthday, a timing Jauns.lv called symbolic.
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A delegation from NATO's Military Committee, representing all 32 alliance member states, visited Kyiv on Wednesday and met Ukraine's armed forces commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, committee chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said in a video statement. It was the first visit by the Military Committee to the Ukrainian capital in eight years.
Dragone said the trip fulfilled a promise he made to Drapatyi, whom he described as a close friend, during a conversation in August. He said that although the committee had not visited Kyiv in person for eight years, Ukraine had remained in its thoughts, discussions and decisions throughout that time, according to Hromadske. The visit followed one by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's top political decision-making body, to Kyiv in June.
The military representatives came to get an up-to-date assessment of the battlefield situation directly from Ukraine's command, and discussed expanding military support and responding to the armed forces' urgent needs, according to Hromadske and Ukrainska Pravda. The delegation also paid tribute to Ukrainian service members at Kyiv's Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The visit fell on Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday, Latvian outlet Jauns.lv noted, calling the timing symbolic given Moscow's repeated objections to Ukraine's cooperation with NATO.
Dragone said NATO's support for Ukraine continued to grow and that the alliance's unity was stronger than ever, warning that sabotage, cyberattacks and airspace violations against NATO states would not weaken that resolve. "You will fail," he said, addressing those responsible for such acts, according to Hromadske. Unpublicised, asymmetric responses to Russian provocations were being prepared, he added, according to Latvijas Avīze.
Dragone also said Europe was facing a full-scale war alongside a growing list of hybrid attacks, and that the only possible response was to further strengthen defence support for Ukraine, Latvijas Avīze reported.
The delegation included military representatives from all member states travelling together, Jauns.lv reported, describing the visit as one of NATO's most visible shows of collective support for Ukraine.
What we know
- A NATO Military Committee delegation representing all 32 member states visited Kyiv on Wednesday, the first such visit in eight years, committee chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said
- The delegation met Ukraine's armed forces commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, to discuss the battlefield situation and expanding military support
- The visit fell on Vladimir Putin's birthday, a coincidence Jauns.lv called symbolic
- The visit followed a June visit to Kyiv by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's top political decision-making body
- Dragone said NATO's support for Ukraine continues to grow and warned that sabotage, cyberattacks and airspace violations would not weaken the alliance's resolve
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The visit is a show of unity from all 32 NATO members at a time when Russia has stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine alongside hybrid incidents, including sabotage, cyberattacks and airspace incursions, against NATO states themselves. Dragone's remarks linking Ukraine's battlefield support to the alliance's response to those incidents show how closely the two issues are now tied together for NATO.
The visit follows the North Atlantic Council's trip to Kyiv in June, pointing to a pattern of senior NATO delegations travelling to the Ukrainian capital despite the continuing war. Dragone chose to deliver his warning to Moscow from Kyiv itself, standing alongside military representatives of all 32 member states, a show of unity the alliance says has not wavered despite the sabotage and airspace incidents it blames on Russia.
Updates
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NATO's Kyiv visit coincided with Vladimir Putin's birthday, a timing Jauns.lv called symbolic.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 12 reports from 12 independent outlets in 6 countries.
- Censor.net: Representatives of NATO Military Committee arrived in Kyiv and met with Drapatyi. PHOTOS
- Hromadske: «Є виконанням обіцянки Драпатому». Уперше за 8 років Військовий комітет НАТО прибув до Києва
- 24 Kanal: Вперше за 8 років: військове керівництво усіх 32 країн НАТО прибуло до Києва
- Ukrainska Pravda: Військові представники всіх 32 країн-членів НАТО відвідали Київ
- Haqqin.az: Адмирал Драгоне неожиданно прибыл в Киев
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Questions and answers
- Who visited Kyiv?
- A delegation from NATO's Military Committee, representing all 32 alliance member states, led by committee chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.
- Why does the visit matter?
- It was the Military Committee's first visit to Kyiv in eight years, fell on Vladimir Putin's birthday, and came as NATO faces hybrid incidents including sabotage and airspace violations against its own members.
- Who did the delegation meet?
- Ukraine's armed forces commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, to discuss the battlefield situation and military support.
This article was written with AI assistance from 11 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.