Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday met with US President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague, referring to their 50-minute discussion as “long and substantive.” Their meeting centered on achieving a possible ceasefire and ramping up assistance for Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s continued invasion.
Zelenskyy, posting on X, stated, “We addressed all the really key issues. I thank Mr. President, I thank the United States.” He went on to say that the two leaders shared ideas for measures toward securing a ceasefire, ensuring long-term peace, and guarding Ukrainian citizens.
After the meeting, President Trump said he would possibly consider sending more Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine key weaponry to combat Russia’s increased aerial strikes. “They’re very hard to get,” Trump told a press gathering, “but we are going to see if we can make some of them available.”
Trump also suggested that the United States would consider reinstating wider military assistance to Kyiv, which has been coming under mounting pressure on the battlefield. In contrast to his successor Joe Biden, who had pledged substantial weapons shipments to Ukraine, Trump has not yet fully resumed that magnitude of support.
In the meantime, the leaders of NATO at the summit endorsed a common declaration committing to increase defence budgets to 5% of GDP by 2035. The declaration recalled NATO’s determination to stand with Ukraine, affirming that “Ukraine’s security contributes to ours,” while recognizing Russia as a steady long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic stability.
While the declaration did not unequivocally denounce Moscow’s aggression, it indicated firm alliance-wide alarm at Russia’s continued involvement in destabilizing regional security.
As the war in Ukraine approaches its three-and-a-half-year mark since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Zelenskyy’s diplomatic engagement with key NATO members remains crucial for Kyiv’s survival and hopes for a future peace settlement.
