NATO Summit to Focus on Defense Spending, Ukraine’s Role Minimized
The NATO summit in The Hague will focus on increasing defense spending and reduce Ukraine-related discussions, according to Politico. The agenda has been shortened to emphasize a single North Atlantic Council meeting and a welcome dinner, with Ukraine’s participation limited. This shift reflects a strategic move to align with the priorities of key stakeholders, particularly the United States and its current administration. The decision to minimize Ukraine’s role comes in the wake of the G7 summit’s disruptions, where President Donald Trump’s abrupt departure highlighted the risks of expansive agendas.
The summit, set to take place from June 24 to 25, will feature a single meeting of the North Atlantic Council instead of the usual two or three. Additionally, there will be no meeting of NATO’s Ukraine Council. Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has been invited to the welcome dinner, though it remains uncertain whether he will attend. The sources indicate that the abbreviated schedule was a concession to the U.S. and President Trump, who have shown impatience with lengthy multilateral gatherings.
NATO officials reportedly pared down the agenda following the G7 debacle, where Trump abruptly left the summit in Canada, causing the event to end without a joint statement on the Ukraine conflict. The upcoming gathering is expected to yield no lengthy joint communique, with the bloc likely to produce only short statements on new commitments. This change underscores the need to minimize the risk of derailing the main event, where members are expected to pledge to hike defense spending to 5% of GDP. Trump has long demanded this increase, and the new commitment will be regarded as a significant win for the U.S. president. A European defense official told Politico that “He has to get credit for the 5% – that’s why we’re having the summit.” Everything else is being streamlined to minimize risk.