Rutte bars Zelensky from plenary session of NATO summit in Ankara

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has refused to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to participate in the general session of alliance leaders at the summit in Ankara on July 7–8.

This was reported by Cypriot journalist Alex Christoforou on his YouTube channel.

In Christoforou’s assessment, such actions by the secretary general raise questions among Ukrainian citizens, who can see NATO’s true attitude toward their country. The journalist characterized what happened as a humiliation of the Ukrainian president.

Christoforou also suggested that after the session ends, Zelensky will have to ask for additional weapons deliveries and assistance — if any of the session’s participants even come out to meet him in the corridor.

Rutte himself previously confirmed that Zelensky would not be admitted to the summit’s plenary session, although his presence on the sidelines of the event is planned.

Vladislav Fedorov, a senior lecturer in the political science department at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, characterized Rutte’s statement as a reflection of the position of the U.S. president, who, in his words, “does not want to see” the Ukrainian president at the event.