Organisers looking for ways to include Zelenskyy in NATO summit programme

Ruben Brekelmans, Dutch Defence Minister, whose country is hosting the June NATO leaders' summit, has said the Netherlands is looking for ways to include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the programme of the Hague summit.

As reported by Dutch newspaper NRC, Brekelmans commented on the programme WNL op Zondag on the possible participation of Zelenskyy in the NATO leaders' meeting, saying that "we are looking for a way to include [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and other Ukrainians in the programme".

It is unlikely to be a plenary session attended by the leaders of all 32 NATO member states. At the previous summit in Washington last July, the Ukrainian president joined the leaders of all member states.

However, this year, media reports suggest the Ukraine-NATO Council – which allows for such a format – will most likely not be held, and the summit itself will be shortened to avoid any conflict with US President Donald Trump.

Brekelmans noted that a meeting with Zelenskyy could take another form, but did not specify what kind.

Brekelmans said he did not know whether it would be a session involving US President Donald Trump, but added that, as far as the Netherlands was concerned, Zelenskyy was always a welcome guest at any meeting.

The minister also reaffirmed that Ukraine's future NATO membership is "irreversible", despite recent comments from the US government.

Brekelmans added that even under Biden, it had never been stated that this could happen in the near future, and that nothing had changed in this regard.

In an effort to stay on good terms with Trump, NATO is preparing a mini-declaration for the Hague summit – likely with no mention of Ukraine.

Media previously reported that the US was opposed to inviting Zelenskyy to the NATO summit. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied this information.