NATO supports Ukraine despite downplaying its role at the summit

Ukraine, a key player in recent NATO summits, has seen its role diminished for the first time in three years at the gathering in The Hague this Tuesday and Wednesday. This was intentional, to reduce the possibility of friction with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has so far refused to approve new military aid for Kyiv and maintains that what the occupied country should do is negotiate peace with Moscow. But even with the muted participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO members wanted to send the message that their support for Ukraine remains unwavering.

The Alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has reiterated that the country’s path to membership in the organization is “irreversible.” At the same time, the President of the European Council, António Costa, has pointed to an acceleration of the process for Kyiv’s accession to the European Union.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly rebuked the Ukrainian leader in February, confirmed while traveling to The Hague that he would “probably” hold a bilateral meeting with him on Wednesday. Trump ditched Zelenskiy last week during the G-7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, where the two were supposed to meet. Instead, the U.S. president decided to rush back to Washington in light of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

The fact that the American leader currently appears to be looking more favorably on Zelenskiy than in recent months, when he accused him of being a “dictator” and of having provoked the war, seems linked to the relative fall from grace of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The intensification of Russian attacks and the Kremlin leader’s delays in accepting a ceasefire and negotiating peace have exasperated the impatient Trump, who before taking off from Washington lashed out at the man he has often declared himself to admire. Putin, he claimed, had offered to mediate with Iran. “As you know Vladimir called me up. He said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you,’ Fox News reported.

Initially, there were doubts as to whether Zelenskiy would travel to The Hague. Formally, he was only invited to the gala dinner opening the summit. The only meeting specifically on Ukraine in The Hague, also on Tuesday, had been reduced to the ministerial level.

However, the Ukrainian leader did hold bilateral meetings with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the presidents of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, among others. He also participated in a session on the European defense industry before meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The message at each of these meetings was unanimous: Ukraine needs more weapons. Faced with Trump’s lack of willingness to approve new U.S. military aid to the occupied country, the rest of the allies are seeking to fill the gap. “We still need air defense. We need continuity, co-production, and a lot of military support,” Zelenskiy urged in his meeting with Rutte.

Upon Zelenskiy’s arrival in Ukraine, The Netherlands, which is hosting the NATO summit, announced a new aid package worth €175 million, which will include around 100 anti-drone radars. One of the issues the Ukrainian president wants to discuss in his meeting with Trump is the possibility of purchasing U.S. weapons, including Patriot missile defense systems. He also hopes to persuade him to approve more sanctions against Russia.

The NATO Secretary General, for his part, assured that the summit’s final declaration “will contain important language about Ukraine, about support for Ukraine, including financially.” At last year’s summit in Washington, with Democrat Joe Biden still in the White House, the organization asserted in its final declaration that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership was “irreversible.” But since taking office, the Trump administration has repeatedly stated that Kyiv will not become a member of the Alliance.

At his news conference on Monday, Rutte echoed that message. In his meeting with Zelenskiy on Tuesday, he reiterated this idea. The need to support Ukraine, he asserted, is demonstrated by the “indiscriminate attacks” against civilians over the past two weeks. “Everyone is very motivated” to help Ukraine, he said. The Secretary General announced that European commitments have already reached €35 billion so far this year, compared to €20 billion in the first three months.

Shortly after, the Ukrainian leader received another message of European support during his meeting with Costa and Von der Leyen. According to European sources, the talks focused primarily on how the new European defense spending commitment could benefit Ukraine. The President of the Council pointed to Kyiv’s future EU membership. “We have reached the conditions to advance the process of negotiations for accession to the European Union,” Costa promised.

After The Hague, Zelensky will travel to Strasbourg on Wednesday to sign the agreement establishing the Special Tribunal for Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine. This will try the highest-ranking Russian political and military officials responsible for the war launched by Moscow against Kyiv, including, in the still distant future, Putin himself. “Justice for Ukraine will not have to wait,” said Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the body that must create the infrastructure for the first tribunal dedicated to this specific crime to operate, even as early as next year. This, he added, will demonstrate the application of international law “without double standards” and reaffirm that “Europe’s security is not based on silence and impunity, but on law, principles, and actions.” Zelenskiy is also invited to the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday, although his participation will not be confirmed until the last minute.

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