NATO secretary general comments on Ukraine's role at Alliance summit

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has promised to discuss Ukraine and its presence at the summit in The Hague.

As reported by a correspondent of European Pravda, this statement was the first official confirmation from the Alliance regarding the invitation of the Ukrainian president to the leaders' meeting. Until now, this had only been reported unofficially, including by sources of European Pravda.

"I invited Ukraine to the summit. We will, as soon as possible, bring out the programme," Rutte said at a meeting with journalists in Brussels on the eve of a joint meeting of Alliance defence ministers.

It should be noted that partner countries are invited to the Alliance leaders' meeting only at the leadership level, i.e. the invitation is for Zelenskyy. However, the secretary general declined to comment on the format of Ukraine's participation, stressing that this would be disclosed in the official programme.

Mark Rutte also noted that this is not only about Ukraine's participation, but also about its presence on the agenda. "Of course, Ukraine will be discussed on the agenda of the summit", he said.

European Pravda reported that NATO wants to include aid to Ukraine in defence spending.

Moreover, this week, the White House confirmed Trump's participation in the NATO summit.