The NATO summit will be held in The Hague in the Netherlands from 24-25 June and a series of defensive issues are expected to be tackled, including the expansion of national expenditure obligations, assistance to Ukraine, emerging threats from Iran and relations with the US under President Donald Trump.
This will be the first transatlantic top of the president since the return to the White House in January, and all eyes are aimed at Trump, who has not been removed from explosive moments with our allies, also on earlier NATO tops.
After Saturday’s attack by the US against Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Islamic Republic of Iran is expected to become one of the leading issues.
This is what is on the agenda:
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President Donald Trump speaks to the press after a white house meeting with NATO Secretary -General Mark Rutte in Washington, DC, on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Pool via AP)
In a statement released a week prior to the top, NATO said that the heads of state and the government are expected to agree [to] A new defense investment plan “After months of speculation, the Alliance could increase its expenditure obligations of 2% of GDP of a country to 5%.
The idea was first pushed by Trump after he won the elections, and despite the sticker shock what that could mean for not only the eight countries that did not yet come to the 2% obligation, but also the US that currently spends 3.38%, many European leaders came on board.
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Ukrainian Marines train in urban warfare techniques in bilateral military exercises between the United States and Ukraine, and include troops from various NATO and non-NAVO countries on 16 September 2014, near Yavorov, Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Kyiv’s interest in joining NATO has been an important reason for his invasion. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty images)
“And 1.5% can count for adjacent categories, such as cyber security or infrastructure for military mobility,” he explained before his testimony to the Senate Committee for Foreign Relations with regard to NATO top.
NATO Secretary -General Mark Rutte is an avid supporter of increasing defense expenditure, especially since Europe has continued to undergo its greatest threat since the Second World War.
Earlier this month, prior to a NATO ministerial meeting that served as a walk-up to the NATO summit, Rutte said that leaders “will strengthen our deterrence and defense by agreeing ambitious new capacity goals.”
He has detailed rocket defense, long -distance strike opportunities as the most important priorities, which not only comes as Russia continues his aggressive war in Ukraine, but as threats that are levied by a nuclear ambitious Iran also escalate.
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zenskyy has a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine on 13 May 2025. (Ukinnel/Nurphoto via Getty images)
The issue of defending Ukraine is again expected to be a top agenda item and has been a driving force in motivating NATO alliance to drastically increase the expenditures, which nations under the Alliance did for the first time after the infringement of the Russian 2022 of Ukraine.
Given the consistent urge to raise NATO defensive editions, however, his threats to withdraw troops from Europe and his insistence that Kyiv was not allowed this year in the 32-person Alliance, the defense of Ukraine, perhaps not as great as a role in the front and center this year.
“There will hardly be as much focus on Ukraine as in the last few peaks,” Rough argued. “The White House is laser-oriented at the investment of the defense investment and none of the other allies want to rock the boat.”
While countries such as France, the UK and Germany have taken more direct leadership positions and have promised their continuous support for Ukraine, they have also grown the line when it comes to managing transatlantic relationships with Washington under Trump.
“I would expect a short, concise top statement with some mention of Ukraine, but none of the graceful language that characterized earlier communiqués,” Rough added.
The Ukrainian President VolodyMyr Zenskyy is expected to attend parts of the top activities, such as the opening dinner, although he has not yet been confirmed that he is attending official NATO meetings.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Bottom Center, Ukrainian President Volodyymyr Zenskiy, on the way bottom right, and other world leaders attend a defensive top in Lancaster House in London on Sunday 2 March 2025. (Neil Hall/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty images)
Reporting suggested that Trump could have the problems with having Zenskyy during a NATO event in the midst of apparently stuck -the fires with Russia -who started taking a rear seat in the midst of the battle between Israel and Iran.
Trump has not stopped on earlier NATO peaks when it comes to the Conflict about RussiaIncluding in 2018 when he openly collided with the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel when he accused Berlin of “fully controlled by Russia” and claimed that it was a “bad thing for NATO”.
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With the US launch Operation Midnight Hammer Against three of Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on Saturday, Iran will be one of the most important topics for discussions by NATO members as tensions with the regime in Tehran Rise.
Moreover, Russia continues to pose the biggest threat to Europe, not only if his war ambitions in Ukraine continue, but because intelligence services are increasingly warning that “Russia’s post -war focus will be on NATO.”
Rough, in his testimony of the Senate, pointed to the findings of the German federal intelligence service that said earlier this month that “we see that the collective Defense Promise of NATO should be tested … We are very sure, and we have information certificate to support this, that Ukraine is only one step on the path from Russia to the West.”
Danish intelligence gave similar warnings earlier this year and said that if it were the right chance, Russia could launch hostile operations against a neighboring nation within six months after a ceasefiring -fires in Ukraine.
Rutte emphasized the seriousness of the direct threat that Russia poses and said earlier this month during a trip to the UK that if Nations did not seriously take the need to invest in the 5% Defense Push, than “you better speak Russian.”
The alliances that Moscow cemented during his war in Ukraine have also raised a very real threat to the West, since China, Noord -Korea and Iran all played an important role in feeding Russia’s war machine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and leader of Noord -Korea Kim Jong Un, left, meet each other for a welcome ceremony at the Kim Il Square in Pyongyang, Noord -Korea, on Wednesday 19 June. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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China, although it claims neutrality in the war, has fervent with electronic components that are crucial for modern warfare. Iran has supplied drones and technical know-how, while North Korea has not only provided ammunition and military equipment, but also boots on the spot before the war.
Although China and Russia have repeatedly committed their partnership as united against the West, North Korea is increasingly encouraged and it is a technical know-how for rocket development in exchange for its support, which is an important threat to not only partners in the East, but also Western interests.
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Rough warned that “Russian President Vladimir Putin is actual against the American partnership that he wants to undermine on every occasion.”
Moreover, Ruw, with reference to American military officials in Europe, said it would be a mistake to remove American troops from Europe in the midst of these more and more united threats against the West.
Troop agreements, collective defense and American involvement in detecting Russia, China, Noord -Korea and Iran is all expected to become an important point of discussion.
The Associated Press has contributed to this report.
