Rutte (right) is still hyping Zelensky’s diminished participation in the NATO summit.
| Published June 24, 2025
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte insists Ukraine will remain a vital topic at an alliance summit this week despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s absence from a leaders’ meeting aiming to seal an agreement to boost military spending
At the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, newly appointed Secretary-General Mark Rutte strongly reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to Ukraine, despite a noticeable shift in how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being included. While Ukraine is no longer the centerpiece of every session, its strategic importance remains central to NATO’s long-term defense planning, especially as Russia’s war grinds on. The summit arrives amid political pressures within member states, growing defense budgets, and calls for more localized weapons production in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s role downgraded — but still center stage
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Zelenskyy is participating in side meetings (e.g., a dinner and meetings with the Dutch prime minister), but not in the central leaders’ session focused on military spending.
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This contrasts with the Washington summit last year, which declared Ukraine was on an “irreversible path” to NATO membership.
Associated Press reported:
“’You will see important language about Ukraine, including connecting the defense spending up to 2035 to Ukraine, and the need for Ukraine to stay in the fight’, Rutte told reporters on the eve of the two-day summit. ‘This is a clear commitment by allies’.”
“But the Ukrainian leader hasn’t yet publicly confirmed he’ll attend a dinner laid on for leaders attending the NATO summit, where his country has had a diplomatic downgrade from previous alliance meetings, even as leaders stress that their militaries need to muscle up to counter the threat of Russia.
It’s a big change since the summit in Washington last year, when the military alliance’s weighty communique included a vow to supply long-term security assistance to Ukraine, and a commitment to back the country ‘on its irreversible path’ to NATO membership.”
Zelenskyy urges NATO to support Ukraine’s defense industry
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Ahead of the summit, Zelenskyy appealed for NATO to bolster Ukraine’s domestic defense capabilities—emphasizing not just weapons deliveries, but the development of Ukraine’s own military-industrial base .
Path for Ukraine to come into NATO is IRREVERSIBLE — alliance chief Mark Rutte
Highway to Hell pic.twitter.com/IkLABOoNY7
— Putin News 🇷🇺 Vladcoin (@runews) June 2, 2025
Mark Rutte,NATO Secretary General:
Earlier:
“Ukraine will be a member of NATO”Today:
“We have not promised Ukraine membership”“Slava Ukraini”
😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/DSHfREFb4t— Richard (@ricwe123) March 13, 2025
Implications
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Stronger Long-Term Commitment: The pledge to boost aid to over €35 billion signals NATO’s intention to support Ukraine beyond immediate battlefield needs—this reinforces deterrence against Russia and ensures Ukraine isn’t left behind as other global crises emerge.
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Shift Toward Defense Industrial Autonomy: Zelenskyy’s call for support in building Ukraine’s own defense industry suggests a pivot away from dependency on Western arms shipments, which could empower Ukraine to sustain its war effort independently over time.
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Tensions Inside NATO: Ukraine’s exclusion from the main leaders’ session reflects divisions among allies—especially with former President Trump attending and continuing to oppose Ukrainian NATO membership. This could impact unity and future enlargement plans.
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Message to Russia: Despite political changes and summit optics, NATO’s unified front and increase in aid sends a clear signal to Moscow that the alliance is not wavering in its support for Kyiv.
💬 Overall Takeaway:
While Ukraine may not occupy the spotlight at every NATO discussion, its strategic role remains deeply embedded in the alliance’s priorities. The summit demonstrated both material backing—through increased financial aid—and ideological commitment, despite internal political nuances. Zelenskyy’s push for defense-industry support and NATO’s response reflect a maturing partnership aimed at long-term resilience. The message is clear: Ukraine’s security is NATO’s business, even if its path to full membership remains uncertain.
