A one-page joint declaration for the upcoming NATO summit, scheduled for June 24–25 in The Hague, will reportedly omit any mention of Ukraine’s aspiration to join the alliance, as well as a previously pledged $40 billion in assistance to Kyiv.
According to a report by Bloomberg, which reviewed a draft of the declaration, the statement also leaves out references to long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. While it refers to Russia as a “threat” to the alliance, it notably stops short of labeling Moscow as an “aggressor” in Ukraine. The draft also omits any mention of China—an omission that marks a sharp departure from previous declarations.
In last year’s communiqué issued after the 2024 NATO summit in Washington, D.C., Ukraine’s NATO ambitions were described as “irreversible,” and China was labeled a “decisive enabler” of Russia. The 2024 declaration also included the bloc’s pledge of $40 billion in military support for Ukraine.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO summits have centered heavily on the conflict, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky often serving as the focal point of the gatherings. However, NATO has yet to extend a formal invitation to Zelensky for this year’s summit.
Reports over the past week suggest that NATO officials are seeking a carefully choreographed solution to include Zelensky at the event without antagonizing U.S. President Donald Trump. One such option being considered is allowing Zelensky to attend a pre-summit dinner while excluding him from the formal sessions.
On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Trump administration’s upcoming defense budget would include a reduction in aid to Ukraine. Hegseth stated that the administration views the conflict “differently” from previous ones.
In an interview on Sunday, President Zelensky said that 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally allocated for Ukraine were instead redirected to U.S. forces in the Middle East.