President Volodymyr Zelensky met outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on June 24 in The Hagueon the first day of the NATO summit.

Welcoming Zelensky at the Catshuis official residence, Schoof presented a new military aid package for Ukraine, including 100 drone radar systems, front-line vehicles for evacuating the wounded, and 80 million euros (over $90 million) for the drone initiative. The Netherlands will also start producing drones for Ukraine, according to Ukrainian specifications.

Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands on the evening of June 23, planning to meet allied leaders – including U.S. President Donald Trump – to discuss NATO's response to Russia's war against Ukraine during the annual summit.

"Let me be clear: Ukraine is part of the family that we call the Euro-Atlantic family," Schoof told Zelensky in front of reporters.

The new aid package is valued at 175 million euros ($200 million) and comes after a 500 million euros ($580 million) agreement to produce 600,000 drones with the Ukrainian defense industry, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said separately at the summit.

"We have these technologies, we want to share them with our partners. In The Hague, we begin to work with some countries on co-production," Zelensky said when talking about Ukraine's drone manufacturing capabilities.

Calling The Hague the "city of justice," Zelensky also said he counts on allied support in "holding Russia accountable for its crimes" and named the Netherlands among Ukraine's leading European supporters.

Zelensky's arrival was preceded by rumors that he might skip the event if Trump does not attend either. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian president later confirmed he plans to meet the U.S. leader on June 25, potentially marking their third meeting since Trump took office after the expected talks at the G7 summit in Canada fell through.

This year's NATO summit is taking place as Russia continues to launch large-scale deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities, disregarding calls by Kyiv and its Western partners for a ceasefire.

Allied leaders also face growing uncertainty about the Trump administration's commitment to both Ukraine and NATO's collective security as new conflicts emerge in the Middle East.

‘Let’s not be naive’ — Rutte urges NATO to face Russia, China threats, pledges support for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said NATO’s role is to ensure Ukraine has the military means to stay in the fight until “serious” peace negotiations begin.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

Ukraine will not participate in a leaders-level NATO Council meeting at next week’s summit in The Hague, reflecting the United States’ reluctance to emphasize the ongoing war that Trump had promised to resolve “quickly.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited only to 24 June’s opening dinner and will not take part in the summit’s main sessions, unnamed sources told Politico.

The exclusion represents “another concession” to the US, which wants to avoid highlighting the ongoing war that Trump pledged to end during his presidential campaign.

The decision contrasts with NATO’s official summit program, which shows a Ukraine-NATO Council working dinner scheduled for 24 June but at the foreign minister level, chaired by the alliance’s Deputy Secretary General rather than heads of state.

Trump also avoided meeting Zelenskyy at the recent G7 summit, signaling a cooling of direct US support for Ukraine at these high-profile events.

Zelenskyy’s attendance uncertain

President Zelenskyy said 21 June that he remained undecided about attending the summit, despite receiving an invitation from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. NATO officials have confirmed that “Ukraine will be with us in The Hague,” though the extent of Ukrainian participation now appears limited.

Earlier, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans revealed that he is actively working to secure Zelenskyy’s participation in the NATO summit scheduled for 24-25 June in The Hague. He said that the Netherlands welcomes him at every meeting, exploring alternative formats for his involvement. Brekelmans also reaffirmed that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership remains irreversible despite skepticism.

Europe defense spending increase takes priority

The restricted Ukrainian presence aligns with the Trump administration’s broader approach to the summit, which sources describe as focused primarily on securing increased defense spending commitments from European allies.

The 32-nation alliance plans to pledge dramatically higher defense expenditures, reaching 5% of gross domestic product split between 3.5 percent for direct military needs and 1.5% for broader defense-related efforts, according to Politico’s sources. This represents a significant jump from the current 2% target established in 2014.

“They would never have agreed to 5% without Trump,” an administration official told the outlet anonymously. “So he sees this as a major victory.”

Trump intends to deliver a speech on 25 June following the summit’s conclusion to highlight the new spending commitments and his role in achieving them. The focus on defense budgets reflects the president’s longstanding demands for European allies to shoulder more responsibility for their own security.