NATO summit in The Hague to focus on long-term support, lasting peace for Ukraine, Rutte says

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on May 21 that the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague will focus on the military support for Ukraine to ensure it is in the strongest position possible both during its ongoing defense and in the eventual pursuit of a lasting peace, European Pravda reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte emphasized that all 32 NATO member states will discuss the continued support for Ukraine and how to avoid repeating past failed agreements.

"As for Ukraine, it will be a topic of discussion at the summit in The Hague. We must ensure that Ukraine, while the fight continues, receives all possible collective support to be in the best possible position to continue," Rutte said.

He added that when the time comes for peace, whether through a ceasefire or a formal agreement, it must be "durable and sustainable."

"We must make sure we never return to what we saw with the Minsk agreements," Rutte stressed, referring to the 2015 accords that failed to bring lasting peace to eastern Ukraine.

Rutte concluded by highlighting NATO's collective strength, saying, "This will really show that NATO, composed of 32 countries with a combined economy of $50 trillion and defense spending at a high level, is truly capable of defending itself against any adversary."

The allies are set to gather for an annual summit in The Hague on June 24-25 amid growing uncertainties of the U.S.'s commitment to NATO under U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump has been a long-time critic of the U.S.'s NATO partners and said he would not defend those that fail to meet defense spending targets, directly challenging the alliance's principle of collective defense.

The U.S. president has accused European countries of failing to contribute their fair share to the alliance's defense needs, and his administration has signaled that its strategic focus is shifting from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region.

NATO members have significantly increased their defense spending since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022, with countries like Poland and the Baltic nations aiming to reach the 5% target in the coming years.

Previously, Italy's ANSA news agency reported that the U.S. is opposing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s participation at the upcoming NATO summit. According to Euractiv, allies have agreed that appeasing Trump takes priority and have not extended an invitation to Ukraine, a move NATO officials have not publicly confirmed.

U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio later denied the U.S. opposed Zelensky's presence, telling reporters: "No, I don't know where that's coming from."

The decision to exclude the Ukrainian president, if accurate, would mark the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion that Zelensky is absent, either physically or virtually, from a NATO summit.