The upcoming NATO leaders’ summit in the Netherlands, long anticipated as a key forum to solidify Western support for Ukraine and advance collective defense strategies, will reportedly feature a significantly reduced agenda, placing far less emphasis on the Ukrainian conflict than initially expected. According to Politico, citing five officials familiar with the matter, the gathering – scheduled to take place in The Hague from June 24 to 25 – will include only a welcome dinner and a single formal session of the North Atlantic Council, eschewing the traditional multiple plenary meetings and sidelining the NATO-Ukraine Council altogether.

The decision to minimize Ukraine’s visibility at the summit represents a striking shift for the alliance, which had previously centered its post-2022 strategic messaging on resisting Russian aggression and supporting Kyiv’s ambitions for eventual NATO membership. Now, however, political realities – especially in Washington – appear to be recalibrating NATO’s priorities.

The streamlined agenda appears tailored to accommodate US President Donald Trump’s preferences and political sensitivities. Trump, who has repeatedly criticized NATO as “obsolete” and accused allies of “freeloading,” has long demanded that member states drastically increase their defense expenditures. He is now pushing for a new target: 5% of GDP – a massive leap from the current 2% goal that many members have yet to meet.

“He has to get credit for the 5% – that’s why we’re having the summit,” a European defense........

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