NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday downplayed concerns about tensions between Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, while reiterating his belief that "only" the US president could achieve peace between Moscow and Kyiv.

Rutte, visiting Washington just days after Trump hosted Zelensky for tense talks, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill before his own White House sit-down later in the day.

Asked if his visit to Washington was a sign that the Trump-Zelensky talks last week were a "disaster," Rutte said no, describing it as "a successful meeting."

Rather, his trip was planned beforehand and came about after he texted the US president seeking "to discuss how we now can deliver his vision on peace in Ukraine," the NATO chief told reporters after meeting with senators.

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