President Donald Trump of the United States embarked on a trip to The Hague in the Netherlands on Tuesday, June 24th, to attend the two-day NATO summit where he is expected to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy expressed his desire to discuss a major arms acquisition program including the Patriot missile defense system, as well as strengthening sanctions against Russia and other pressure tactics.
During a military-industrial event on the sidelines of the summit, Zelenskiy warned European NATO members that if they fail to defeat Russia on the Ukrainian battlefield, the Russian military is planning a new round of military actions on NATO territories, which includes their countries. Earlier on the same day, at least 17 people were killed in a missile attack by Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine.
Zelenskiy emphasized the need for Ukraine to maintain its lead in drone technology, a field that has significantly changed the dynamics of the battlefield and evolved rapidly during the 40-month war.
President Trump’s agenda for the trip includes meetings with leaders from various countries, emphasizing unity within NATO and pushing for countries to meet the 5% defense spending goal. However, while speaking to the media aboard Air Force One, Trump maintained a reserved stance on NATO’s core Article 5 collective defense commitment.
“It depends on how you define it. I am committed to saving lives. I am committed to life and safety,” Trump said. “I will give you a precise definition upon arriving at the summit.”
Trump also shared a screenshot of a message from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who praised his decisive actions on the Iran issue as “extraordinary” and thanked him for driving significant military funding reform within NATO.
“Congratulations, and thank you for the decisive action you have taken on Iran, it’s truly extraordinary and something that others would not dare to do. You have made all of us safer,” Rutte wrote in the message. “Tonight, as you fly to The Hague, you will achieve another major success. This is not easy, but we have managed to convince everyone to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.”
This new military spending threshold proposed for Trump’s second term is currently on track to become an official NATO alliance policy, replacing the current 2% benchmark.
Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin in Russia, criticized NATO for moving towards a “militarized frenzy” and intentionally portraying Russia as a “demon from hell” in order to justify significant military expansion.
He stated, “NATO is an alliance born to confront.” The Kremlin denied any plans by Russia to attack NATO.