NATO-Ukraine Council meeting to be held at the Summit in The Hague
17 June 06:20
The North Atlantic Alliance has published the program of the summit to be held on June 24-25 in The Hague. In particular, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council is scheduled. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the NATO press service.
According to the program, a working dinner of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of foreign ministers is scheduled for the evening of June 24, chaired by the Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance.
This is the only public event with the participation of a non-NATO state mentioned in the program.
At the same time, according to the program, the Heads of State and Government of the Allies, accompanied by their spouses, will arrive at the Huis ten Bosch Palace to participate in a “social dinner” at the invitation of the King and Queen of the Netherlands.
A meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government will take place the next day, June 25, under the chairmanship of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The NATO Summit will be held in The Hague (Netherlands) on June 24-25. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to the meeting.
What is known about the NATO Summit in The Hague
The 2025 NATO Summit will take place on June 24-25 in The Hague, the Netherlands, at the World Forum. This is the first time that the Netherlands has hosted such an event and the first summit chaired by the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte.
The main topics of the summit are
Increasing defense spending. The United States insists on increasing defense spending by NATO member states to 5% of GDP. In response, Mark Rutte proposed a compromise: 3.5% for military needs and 1.5% for related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure.
Support for Ukraine. Long-term support for Ukraine, including financial and military assistance, as well as prospects for Ukraine’s membership in NATO are expected to be discussed.
The future of NATO. Strategies for a possible decrease in US participation in the Alliance, including increased contributions from European countries and Canada, are planned to be considered.
Participants and events
The summit will be attended by 45 heads of state and government, as well as foreign and defense ministers of NATO member states. In addition, the NATO Public Forum will be held with the participation of experts, politicians and civil society representatives.
Local security measures
About 8,500 participants are expected to arrive, including 2,000 journalists. A total of 27,000 police officers will be deployed to ensure security, the largest operation in the history of the Netherlands.
The Summit in The Hague will be a key moment for determining the future of NATO, in particular in terms of defense spending, support for Ukraine, and the Alliance’s adaptation to new security challenges.
NATO-Ukraine relations
Relations between Ukraine and NATO began shortly after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. In 1994, Ukraine joined the Partnership for Peace program, which was the first step towards cooperation with the Alliance. In 1997, the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between Ukraine and NATO was signed, which defined the main areas of cooperation.
An important milestone was the 2008 NATO Bucharest Summit, at which it was stated that Ukraine and Georgia would become members of the Alliance in the future, although no specific timeline was set.
After the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and the beginning of Russian aggression, cooperation between Ukraine and NATO intensified significantly. Ukraine was granted NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partner status in 2020.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 further strengthened cooperation. NATO countries provide Ukraine with significant military, financial, and humanitarian assistance. However, despite Ukraine’s aspirations for full membership in the Alliance and NATO’s continued support for Ukraine, the issue of accession remains a subject of debate and diplomatic negotiations.
At the Vilnius Summit in 2023, it was announced that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance without MAP.
After the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States in 2025, the United States openly says that Ukraine will not be a member of NATO. The fact that this issue is not on the agenda was confirmed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
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