**NATO Summit in The Hague to Focus on Long-Term Support and Lasting Peace for Ukraine**
The upcoming NATO summit in The Hague will focus on providing long-term military support to Ukraine, ensuring it is in the strongest position possible both during its ongoing defense and eventual pursuit of a lasting peace. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on May 21.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte emphasized that all 32 NATO member states will discuss the continued support for Ukraine and how to avoid repeating past failed agreements, such as the Minsk accords. These agreements, signed in 2015, failed to bring lasting peace to eastern Ukraine.
**A Lasting Peace Requires Collective Effort**
Rutte stressed that when the time comes for peace, whether through a ceasefire or a formal agreement, it must be “durable and sustainable.” He emphasized the importance of collective effort from all NATO member states to ensure that Ukraine receives the necessary support to achieve lasting peace.
“The Minsk agreements were a failure because they didn’t have the full support of all parties involved,” Rutte said. “We must make sure we never return to what we saw with those accords.”
**NATO’s Collective Strength**
Rutte highlighted NATO’s collective strength, saying that the alliance is capable of defending itself against any adversary. He noted that NATO has a combined economy of $50 trillion and defense spending at a high level.
“This will really show that NATO, composed of 32 countries with a combined economy of $50 trillion and defense spending at a high level, is truly capable of defending itself against any adversary,” Rutte said.
**Uncertainties Surrounding U.S.’s Commitment to NATO**
The upcoming summit comes amid growing uncertainties surrounding the U.S.’s commitment to NATO under President Donald Trump. Trump has been a long-time critic of the U.S.’s NATO partners and has accused European countries of failing to contribute their fair share to the alliance’s defense needs.
**Ukraine’s Exclusion from Summit Raises Concerns**
There have been reports that the U.S. is opposing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s participation at the upcoming summit. While U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio denied this, saying “No, I don’t know where that’s coming from,” the decision to exclude the Ukrainian president, if accurate, would mark the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion that Zelensky is absent, either physically or virtually, from a NATO summit.
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