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Dutch defense chief seeks to include Zelenskyy to June NATO summit in The Hague

Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated though that Zelenskyy’s participation would likely occur outside the main session with all 32 member states.
byVira KravchukandbyYana Olynets
26/05/2025
3 minute read
Ukrainian rally USA Washington DC NATO Russians destroyed my home
Ukrainian activists hold a rally outside the NATO summit in Washington DC on 9 July 2024. Photo: Noah Berger/Associated Press.
Dutch defense chief seeks to include Zelenskyy to June NATO summit in The Hague

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans is working to secure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's participation at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on 24-25 June.

This comes as the US is attempting to negotiate a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, however Russian demands for Ukraine remain unchanged since 2022, specifically insisting that Ukraine abandon its aspirations to join NATO and accept a nuclear-free status. Ukraine seeks NATO membership to secure protection and strengthen its sovereignty against Russian aggression, but has not been accepted yet due to concerns over provoking Russia and escalating nuclear rhetoric.

Brekelmans said that officials are examining how to include Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian representatives in the summit program, though likely not in the main plenary session with all 32 NATO member states, according to NRC. He also acknowledged uncertainty about whether any session would include US President Donald Trump.

"As far as the Netherlands is concerned, Zelenskyy is welcome at every meeting," Brekelmans stated.

This approach differs from the previous Washington summit in July last year, where Zelenskyy participated alongside all alliance leaders.

During the 2024 NATO summit in Washington, the member states adopted a declaration committing €40 billion in defense funding for Ukraine through 2025. 

The minister reaffirmed that Ukraine's future NATO membership remains on an "irreversible path", despite previous Trump's statements that Ukraine should "forget about it."

Brekelmans argued that the timeline has not fundamentally changed since the Biden presidency, when immediate membership was also not considered feasible.

 “Even during Biden’s presidency, it was never said that this could happen in the near future. That hasn’t changed,” Brekelmans noted.

The minister expressed skepticism about near-term peace negotiations, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no genuine interest in ceasefire discussions. Brekelmans concluded that sustained pressure on Russia remains necessary to create conditions where Putin might seriously consider peace talks.

This year’s summit will be the first summit led by Mark Rutte as Secretary General of NATO. NATO officials believe he will need all his diplomatic skills to secure a successful outcome — particularly in avoiding tensions with US President Donald Trump.

On 26 May, the Netherlands completed a delivery of a final batch of its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine of all 24 promised aircraft.

The jets serve multiple roles in Ukrainian defense operations, including intercepting Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian cities daily.

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