Ukraine has been invited to a NATO summit later in June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, after earlier warning it would be a “victory” for Russia if it was not there.
The heads of NATO states will gather in The Hague, Netherlands, from June 24-26, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s calls for alliance members to ramp up defence spending set to dominate the agenda.
“We were invited to the NATO summit. I think this is important,” Zelenskyy said Monday after he held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Vilnius.
Kyiv is seeking to shore up its support from Europe because of uncertainties over vital military aid under Trump.
Last week Zelenskyy had said that “if Ukraine is not present at the NATO summit, it will be a victory for Putin, but not over Ukraine, but over NATO.”
Zelenskyy wants NATO to offer security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia – something Moscow has called “unacceptable.”
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