NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has revealed that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have already discussed how they will celebrate the end of the war. The two leaders plan to travel to Switzerland, climb a mountain and share a bottle of wine.
Rutte made the remarks during an appearance on the Dutch talk show *Pauw & De Wit*, where he also shared details of his personal conversations with the Ukrainian president.
During the interview, the host referred to a documentary about former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, which revealed that Stoltenberg and Zelensky had agreed to go fishing together once the war was over. Rutte was then asked whether he had made similar plans with the Ukrainian leader.
“We’re going to get drunk on a mountain in Switzerland,” Rutte replied.
When the host asked him to clarify, the NATO chief elaborated:
“We’re going to sit on a Swiss mountaintop and get completely wasted.”
According to Rutte, the idea is more than just a joke. It is something he and Zelensky have already discussed during their private meetings.
Rutte explained that before official talks, the two leaders sometimes leave their delegations downstairs and spend time speaking privately. Their conversations go beyond politics and the war, touching on Zelensky’s personal well-being and the enormous pressure he faces.
“I ask him: How are you doing? How do you physically manage to keep doing what you’re doing?” Rutte said.
The NATO secretary general also praised Zelensky’s sense of humor, which he has managed to preserve despite the ongoing war.
“Zelensky himself is the best at it. He always has a joke ready. And he does that while, of course, fighting a war that affects him to the very depths of his soul,” Rutte said.
According to the NATO chief, humor helps the Ukrainian president cope with the immense strain of leading his country through years of war.
“He understands that he can’t keep this up for four and a half years unless he occasionally makes a joke with that crazy Rutte,” he added.
Speaking about their hopes for life after the war, Rutte recalled one of their private conversations.
“We talk about how fantastic it would be if all of this were finally over and he could be without all that security and drones flying above his head. I mean security drones, not Russian drones,” he explained.
It was during one of these conversations, Rutte said, that they discussed the idea of traveling to Switzerland and sitting together on a mountaintop.
“I told him: Then I’ll take care of the good wine,” the NATO secretary general recalled.
Rutte also emphasized the importance of maintaining personal relationships with fellow leaders, particularly those who face enormous responsibilities and difficult decisions every day.
He suggested that moments of humor, warmth and genuine human connection can provide relief from the pressures of international politics and war.
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