NATO leader Rutte inviting Zelenskyy to upcoming Summit in The Hague
NATO Secretary Mark Rutte extended an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskyy, saying the head of state is welcome to attend the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, sources close to the military alliance told ANP. The two met in person on Monday. Zelenskyy emphasized after the meeting that Ukraine’s presence at the Summit “would send the right signal to Russia.”
The United States, now under the leadership of Donald Trump, was rumored to be strongly opposed to Zelenskyy’s attendance, even though the Ukrainian president was welcomed warmly during the NATO Summit in Washington D.C. last year. But that was when Joe Biden was president, whereas Trump has taken a far more distant and confrontational relationship with Ukraine.
It is not yet known what portions of the Summit program will be open to Zelenskyy, the unnamed sources told ANP. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and closer ties with the alliance remain strongly opposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin
Prior to his Cabinet stepping down, Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof joined the position of other European NATO nations that called on Rutte to invite Zelenskyy. Schoof, who succeeded Rutte as the prime minister of the Netherlands, continued the country’s position of supporting Ukraine as it defends its borders from Russia.
It was previously rumored that Zelenskyy could potentially join a meeting of defense ministers, foreign ministers, or conferences separate from the official program. He could also potentially be included in a dinner for the leaders of NATO Member States organized by King Willem-Alexander.
Ukraine carried out a major drone strike that destroyed dozens of military aircraft and several bases in Russia over the weekend. It was lauched after meticulous planning and without alerting the Trump administration ahead of time, according to several reports.
A few days earlier, on May 25, Russia carried out its own massive air strike Ukraine, which drew a rare rebuke from the American president, who said he was “not happy” with Putin. “I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” he said. “I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.”
While the Trump administration may have softened its stance, the United States was not the only country concerned about having Zelenskyy at the table in The Hague. Hungary has also been opposed to Ukraine’s participation in the NATO Summit.
