NATO leaders to meet under tight schedule amid Trump tensions, Ukraine concerns

Next week’s NATO summit in The Hague will adopt a highly condensed format in a strategic attempt to accommodate US President Donald Trump’s known aversion to prolonged meetings and to minimise the risk of unpredictable outbursts, diplomats involved in planning the event stated.

“Short and sweet” is the stated approach, with the traditional three-session structure of NATO summits reduced to a single two-and-a-half-hour meeting. This streamlined format reflects a tactical shift to retain Trump’s engagement and ensure that the summit proceeds without incident, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“It is about keeping the summit focused, short and sweet,” one diplomat said. “Trump can be impatient and has — [he has] said it himself — a short attention span. The shorter the better.”

The summit’s official communique, which is expected to centre on increased defence spending commitments, will be dramatically abbreviated. Unlike last year’s Washington summit, which produced a 44-paragraph, 5,400-word declaration, this year’s joint statement is projected to span just five paragraphs on a single sheet of A4 paper.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, is steering the agenda toward a singular objective: securing consensus on raising national defence spending to a combined 5 per cent target—3.5 per cent for core military expenditure and an additional 1.5 per cent for related activities such as cybersecurity and military mobility. The final target date, whether by 2032 or 2035, remains under negotiation.

Officials hope to avoid a repeat of past summits marred by Trump’s abrupt exits and combative social media posts. “Will there be a late night or early morning Truth Social bombshell if he has a summit snit?” another alliance diplomat remarked. Notably, Trump is not scheduled to hold a press conference with Rutte following the session, breaking with tradition.

The streamlined summit will also tactfully limit the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has previously clashed with Trump. Zelenskyy will not have a formal role but is expected to attend a dinner hosted by the Dutch king.

While the summit’s concluding text will reaffirm that “Russia is a direct threat,” it will omit prior declarations that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is “irreversible”—a point of contention in light of Trump’s opposition.

As EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas told MEPs, “When NATO leaders meet next week, keeping unity in the alliance is as much a priority as spending more on defence.”

By Vafa Guliyeva