Bloomberg reports that the US-led NATO alliance aims to reduce friction between the US and other member states.
According to Bloomberg, the upcoming NATO summit’s declaration will not include any mention of Ukraine’s potential membership. Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, a move Russia considers a threat to its security.
Bloomberg’s report on Monday indicates that the draft statement, a single page in length, focuses solely on NATO’s defense spending targets. However, the document remains subject to change.
The summit in The Hague is expected to be brief, consisting of a dinner with the Dutch king and a single working session. This brevity is reportedly intended to minimize potential public disagreements between US President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders.
Bloomberg notes that “Notably absent from the statement is the prospect of Ukraine joining the military alliance.”
The $45 billion military assistance pledge from the previous year will also not be renewed, the report states. Jens Stoltenberg, then-Secretary General, had urged members in July 2024 to commit to multi-year military aid for Kiev, aiming for €40 billion ($45 billion) in annual spending across the bloc.
This year, NATO members are anticipated to commit to allocating at least 3.5% of their GDP to defense by 2032, with an additional 1.5% for infrastructure protection and civil preparedness. Bloomberg suggests that NATO is considering allowing members to include military assistance to Kiev towards these spending goals.
Bloomberg’s sources say that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte desires the summit to be a “win” for Trump, who has consistently urged members to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense.
Earlier this month, AFP reported that NATO leaders would avoid discussing Ukraine’s membership at the summit to ease tensions between the US and EU. The US president, aiming to facilitate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, has dismissed the possibility of Kiev joining NATO.
Russia perceives NATO’s eastward expansion as a threat and cites it as a primary cause of the Ukraine conflict. Russian officials have repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s admission into NATO would cross a red line, insisting on the country’s neutrality.
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