The NATO summit in The Hague began Tuesday, marking the first major meeting of the alliance since Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency in January. While Ukraine remains central to the agenda, much of the summit’s focus appears to be on navigating Trump’s more skeptical stance toward continued support for Kyiv and its bid for NATO membership.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claimed on Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to participate in several key meetings, citing opposition from leaders including those of the U.S., Hungary, Slovakia, and Turkey. According to Orbán, these leaders preferred to exclude Zelensky from core alliance discussions.
However, multiple sources suggest the real reason may be more strategic: keeping Zelensky away from Trump.
In the lead-up to the summit, reports emerged that organizers had carefully structured the schedule to limit the chances of a lengthy or high-profile interaction between Trump and Zelensky. Ukraine-focused sessions were reportedly scheduled for later in the evening, after Trump was expected to depart, and Ukraine was excluded from the agenda during the meetings Trump would attend.
While en route to the Netherlands aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked by reporters whether he intended to meet with Zelensky. The president responded that he was open to a meeting on the sidelines, but no bilateral talks between the U.S. and Ukraine have been officially confirmed.
This diplomatic distancing follows a similar pattern observed at last week’s G7 summit, held from June 15–17 in Canada. Zelensky arrived on the final day of that summit—again, reportedly to avoid crossing paths with Trump. Trump left the gathering early on June 17. Although the official explanation cited urgent developments in the Middle East, Trump later issued a terse denial that this was the reason. Some sources indicated that Trump simply wished to avoid Zelensky, who had been seeking $40 billion in annual funding for Ukraine’s government.
As of Tuesday evening, no public engagement between Trump and Zelensky has been announced, further fueling speculation of a diplomatic rift between the two leaders.