NATO Military Committee members hold talks in Kyiv, Russian outlets report
In short
Members of the NATO Military Committee held talks in Kyiv on Wednesday, according to reports carried by Russian outlets citing the Italian agency ANSA. TASS said the committee “secretly” visited Ukraine, and that its chairman, Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, published a photograph of himself shaking hands with Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. No details of the talks were reported, and Interfax said its report gave none.
Why it matters
The visit, reported in Russian state and business media, points to direct military consultations between NATO’s top military body and Ukraine’s armed forces leadership. Since the documents give no account of what was discussed, the significance beyond the fact of the meeting and the contact at the level of the committee chair and Ukraine’s commander-in-chief remains unstated in the sources.
Key facts
- Members of the NATO Military Committee held talks in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday, according to reports citing ANSA. [ 1 , 3 ]
- TASS reported that the Military Committee “secretly” visited Ukraine. [ 2 ]
- The committee’s chairman, Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, published a photograph of himself shaking hands with Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi, TASS reported. [ 2 ]
- Interfax, citing ANSA and alliance sources, said no details of the talks were given in the report. [ 3 ]
- The NATO Military Committee provides strategic and military advice, including to the North Atlantic Council, and is currently chaired by Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Interfax reported. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What was discussed at the talks in Kyiv. Interfax explicitly states that no details of the talks were given in the report it cites.
- Whether the visit was official or undisclosed. RIA Novosti’s headline describes an official visit, while TASS describes a secret visit to Ukraine; the documents do not reconcile the two.
- The handshake between Giuseppe Cavo Dragone and Mykhailo Drapatyi. Reported only by TASS, with no other document confirming it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports, citing Ansa, that the NATO Military Committee arrived in Kyiv on an official visit. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports that the NATO Military Committee secretly visited Ukraine, and that its chairman posted a photograph shaking hands with Ukraine’s commander-in-chief. [ 2 ]
- Interfax reports, citing ANSA and alliance sources, that members of the NATO Military Committee are holding talks in Kyiv, with no details given. [ 3 ]