Yehor Cherniev: NATO remains Ukraine's strategic partner and is seeking various opportunities to increase its assistance to our country

Press Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
04 February 2026, 10:47

The visit to Ukraine by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and his speech at the opening of the 15th session of the Verkhovna Rada is a political signal that the Alliance remains with our country and that member states continue to assist Ukraine. At the same time, his visit also has a significant practical component.

This was stated by MP Yehor Cherniev, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence, and Head of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

«The visit of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirms that the Alliance remains with Ukraine and remains our strategic partner. The visit also provides an opportunity to resolve practical issues: increasing assistance from NATO and its member countries, financing the PURL programme and the production of our weapons. Mark Rutte is now a good negotiator, he finds the right arguments on both sides of the Atlantic, having access to US President Donald Trump,» the politician said.

He added that the NATO Secretary General is now continuing to work actively with European Union countries to ensure that they contribute to the PURL programme fund.

«Today, this fund is underfunded, which is why we are not receiving the necessary number of missiles for our air defence. And Rutte is acting as Ukraine's advocate in the negotiations so that not only Germany, the Netherlands, Norway or the Baltic countries participate in this, but other countries also get involved and finance our needs,» the MP stressed.