NATO summit in The Hague: will Trump meet with Zelensky and what to expect for Ukraine

A two-day NATO summit begins in The Hague on Tuesday, June 24. While Russia’s war against Ukraine was expected to be a key topic of discussion, Western media predict that the leaders will focus their attention on the situation in the Middle East — in particular, the escalation between Israel and Iran.

According to Reuters, the summit participants planned to adopt a joint statement that would meet the expectations of US President Donald Trump: a commitment to increase NATO member countries’ defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. However, after the recent US airstrikes on Iran, the meeting’s priorities have shifted.

Despite this, the summit should be a signal to Moscow: NATO is demonstrating unity and the intention to modernize its own defenses to deter any threat from Russia.

At the same time, according to Politico, the Ukrainian issue is likely to recede into the background this year. Due to geopolitical aggravation in the Middle East region, Kyiv may not wait for the renewal of clear guarantees or political promises. Also, no breakthrough decisions regarding Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance are expected.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys previously stated that it is not worth expecting an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO at this summit – the relevant issue is not even included in the official agenda.

This is the first NATO summit to be held in the Netherlands, although the country is one of the founding members of the Alliance and has been a member since 1949. The program includes not only meetings of heads of state, but also discussions at the level of defense and foreign ministers.

Ukraine is expected to be represented by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. However, Zelensky has not yet confirmed his trip, noting that it does not depend on a possible meeting with the US president. The head of state planned to make a final decision on the visit immediately before the event.

Later, in an interview with the British TV channel Sky News, the President of Ukraine said that he plans to meet with US leader Donald Trump during the NATO summit, which will be held on June 24-25 in The Hague.

According to Zelensky, the teams of both presidents are currently working on organizational issues. “Yes, I plan to [meet with Trump]. I don’t know how everything will turn out, to be honest, but preparations are underway. Yes, we are going to meet,” he said.

When asked by a journalist whether he believed Trump had a better relationship with Vladimir Putin than with him, Zelenskyy replied that the situation was much more complicated.

“I don’t know exactly what Trump’s relationship with Putin is. The media says different things, there are conflicting signals. But I am sure: Trump understands that Ukrainians are allies of the US, and the real enemy of America is Russia. There will be no friendship between the US and Russia. Temporary cooperation is possible, but not friendship,” the Ukrainian leader noted.

At the same time, Zelensky expressed hope that Trump’s current public rhetoric towards Russia is a strategy aimed at forcing the Kremlin to negotiate and end the war. “I want to believe that this is exactly what he is trying to do,” he added.

As a reminder, a two-day NATO summit will kick off in The Hague on Tuesday, June 24. The main topics of this year’s meeting will be strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense system, increasing defense investment, deepening cooperation with the European Union, and continued support for Ukraine in the war and reconstruction process.

As reported, earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considered canceling his visit to the NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled for June 24. This decision was a result of the head of state’s deep disappointment over the failure of a personal meeting with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada, as well as the failure of key agreements, in particular on military assistance and sanctions against Russia.

By the way, Donald Trump’s premature departure from the G7 summit in Canada, as it turned out, had more than just an official cover – the real reasons lay in diplomatic friction and personal “irritations.”

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.