World leaders met in The Hague on Tuesday for the start of the 2025 NATO summit. The goal was to show unity and support a major increase in defence spending as global security threats grow. But the first day was overshadowed by doubts about the US commitment to NATO itself, protests, and power outages that shut down Dutch railways and raised concerns about possible sabotage.
The first day of the NATO summit in The Hague concluded with a formal dinner at the royal Huis ten Bosch Palace, where alliance leaders emphasised unity and the need for increased defence spending.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte opened the summit by stressing that higher military budgets are essential to prevent war, stating, "We need ammunition, ammunition, ammunition. Peace comes through strength."
He also reassured member states of continued American commitment to NATO, adding, "The American president and top leaders are fully committed to NATO."
However, US President Trump caused uncertainty by refusing to confirm his support for Article 5 - the alliance’s mutual defence clause, telling reporters that it “depends on the definition.”
NATO set to unveil ambitious spending target at key summit
The day also included a Defence Industry Forum, where ministers and industry leaders debated strengthening NATO’s industrial base. Rutte urged winning a “new production war,” insisting it is unthinkable that Russia, with its smaller economy, could outproduce NATO.
Electricity outages
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a limited role at this summit due to cooled relations with President Trump. Nevertheless, Zelensky warned attendees that Russian intelligence is planning new operations on NATO territory, emphasising the ongoing threat from Moscow.
The summit’s first day was also marked by electricity outages that partially paralysed the railway system and some notable protests: one at Scheveningen beach against NATO’s stance on Gaza, and another by the LGBTQ+ community near The Hague’s Central Station.
"I think we are spending too much money on the wrong things," Marian, a disabled gay protester who had come to the Malieveld to listen to speeches organised by a coalition of Dutch LGBTQ+ groups, told RFI.
Posters displayed by protesters targeted Trump and Orbán, the US and Hungarian presidents. One protester from Budapest said that despite political opposition from Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, a large Pride demonstration is set to take place in Budapest this weekend.
Meanwhile, Dutch authorities were investigating possible sabotage of the rail network on Tuesday after a power outage left the country’s main airport with limited train services. Other key routes, notably between The Hague and Utrecht and The Hague and Rotterdam, were also affected.
Caretaker Justice Minister David van Weel told the NATO Public Forum that investigators were considering the possibility that fires in some 30 rail cables may have been set deliberately.
The evening concluded with a three-course Dutch dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia, who welcomed the leaders with a group photo and light-hearted moments, including a brief mishap with the red carpet before Trump’s arrival.
(With newswires)
