Closing summary
… and on that note, shortly before the leaders will start arriving for their opening dinner in The Hague, it’s a wrap for today!
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has urged Europe to “make your defences so strong that no one dares to attack you,” as he rallied around the new proposed 5% GDP spending target. “It is simply unthinkable that Russia, with an economy 25 times smaller than Nato’s, should be able to outproduce and outgun us,” he said (13:54, 16:34).
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump revealed a congratulatory text message he received from Rutte, praising him for “something no one else dared to do” on Iran and promising him he was “flying into another big success in The Hague” (15:44)
He is set to arrive this evening after injecting some uncertainty over whether the US would abide by the mutual defense guarantees outlined in the Nato treaty by saying the US commitment to Nato’s Article 5 “depends on your definition” of the mechanism (16:29).
But his most senior diplomat at Nato, Matthew Whittaker, insisted “The United States isn’t going anywhere” (11:54), after Nato’s Rutte also said that allies should “stop worrying so much” about the US and focus on investing more money.
Meanwhile,
Meanwhile, European leaders largely backed the new 5% GDP target, with some – including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy (9:26) and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen (16:50) – even saying the proposed timeline risked being too slow, and Czech Republic’s Petr Pavel saying the ramp up reflects the needs “we were neglecting for decades” (16:48).
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said “it is no exaggeration to call this summit historic” given its importance to increasing defence spending among the members of the alliance (12:33).
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni told the Italian parliament that if the country spends more on defence to meet its international commitments, the extra outlays should benefit Italian companies rather than foreign ones (12:06).
The Nato summit was hit by major train disruption in the Netherlands, with the government (9:56) and the police saying it could have been a deliberate act of sabotage (16:26).
Elsewhere,
President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the top US general in Europe has just said he believed Ukraine could prevail against Russia’s more than three-year-old invasion (17:12).
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, just hours after the latest Russian strike killed at least 17 and wounded more than 200 (18:26).
The summit proper gets under way tomorrow, and we will obviously bring you all the key updates on Europe Live.
If you want to follow live updates from Trump’s arrival at Nato, you can tune into our US politics live blog here:
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Updated
Russian missile attack kills 17, hours before Zelenskyy's attendance at Nato
As European leaders get to The Hague, the latest report confirms that at least 17 people were killed in the Russian missile attack in southeastern Ukraine on Tuesday, a stark reminder of the threat posed by Russia.
The main two-part strike killed 15 and wounded more than 200 in the regional capital Dnipro, said governor Serhiy Lysak, where a blast wave showered scores of train passengers with broken glass, Reuters reported.
Among the wounded were at least 18 children, Lysak added.
Reuters said that two further people were also killed in the town of Samar, around 10 km (six miles) from Dnipro, Lysak said, adding that an infrastructure facility was damaged.
First leaders already in The Hague - in pictures
How Europe’s militaries depend on the US – visual analysis
When it comes to raw firepower, Europe has a long way to go.
Europe’s militaries still overwhelmingly rely on US-made weapons and equipment, according to Guardian analysis of stockpile data that raises doubts about ambitions for European-led rearmament.
Close to half of the fighter jets in active service across European air forces originate from the US, while American – rather than European – missile defence systems remain the most widely deployed on the continent.
The Guardian analysis below, based on arms transfer data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) and stockpile figures published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), reveals just how deeply embedded the US defence industry is in European armies.
'I think Ukraine can win,' says Trump's nominee for top US general in Europe
And on that very point, President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the top US general in Europe has just said he believed Ukraine could prevail against Russia’s more than three-year-old invasion, Reuters reported.
“I think Ukraine can win,” Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said in testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing.
“I think any time your own homeland is threatened, you fight with a tenacity that’s difficult for us to conceive of.”
Focus on helping Ukraine win against Russia, but uncertainty here to stay, panelists say
Poland’s Sikorski also says the focus is on helping Ukraine win against the Russian aggression.
“We believe that preventing Russia from winning, from doing what Vladimir Putin has just reasserted three days ago, that he wants all of Ukraine, this is a doable job, and this is what we should focus on.”
But Denmark’s Frederiksen says
“There are still too many people believing or dreaming that it will end, maybe with a ceasefire or peace agreement, [and] then we will return to the good old days with peace in Europe.
And I’m sorry to say, I don’t think that’s the case.
I think the uncertainty we look at now is also the future, and because of that rearming Europe is for me the number one priority, and I totally agree with the global perspective.”
Denmark’s Frederiksen gets asked about Trump’s claims to Greenland.
She responds elegantly by saying:
“I am really transatlantic in my heart, and I will do almost anything and everything to ensure that Nato is still the most important alliance in the future. So I’m not going to say anything against the US, and you will never find me in that position.
We have a disagreement about Greenland. For now, I think the President is serious about this question, and so are we, because I think all of us have to respect the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark.
And of course, the future of Greenland has to be decided in Greenland and nowhere else.”
Poland’s Sikorski jumps in to make a statement saying that “Poland regards Greenland as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
He then cracks a joke:
“We don’t even make a claim on the island of Bornholm, even though we had a war about it in the 16th century.”
In a further swipe at Trump, he also says Poland recognises the independent sovereignty of Canada.
Talking up Europe’s capabilities, Poland’s Sikorski claims “Putin has woken a giant,” as “we are now going to spend real money on defence.”
“Money is not going to be a constraint,” he says, adding that for Russia “within a few years, Russia will find it will be very difficult to match [our] spending.”
Denmark’s Frederiksen says:
“We are not at wartime, but we are definitely not at peacetime anymore, and I think the awareness [of] this is [in] the right places now.
She says the focus should be on “rearming Europe’s” and investing in its industrial base.
Czech Republic’s Pavel says one of the big questions facing Europe is “for how long the US will be able to maintain the same level of engagement in Europe,” adding “this is the area which we will have to discuss with our American allies.”
He explains Europe needs to find out
“what is the pace of disengagement, if any, and we should plan it properly, in a good coordination.
We shouldn’t allow the situation that the United States are frustrated by lack of response from European allies to push us over the cliff, and by doing that, we have to embed building our own enablers into our defence planning that will be then reflected in our national budgets, and we have to do it in good coordination, because no single European country can build such a capacity on its own.”
Europe needs to draw lessons from Ukraine's experiences, Poland's Sikorski says
Polish foreign minister Sikorski says that Europe “needs to draw the lessons from what the Ukrainians have done,” building 200 factories in three years “because they know they are in wartime.”
“We are not at war, but we are in crisis time, so we need to short circuit some of our procedures, planning procedures, that sort of thing,” he says.
He then adds:
“We don’t need to be as good as the United States. We just need to be better than the Russians. But the Russians are learning very fast too.”
2035 deadline for hitting new Nato target is 'too late,' Danish prime minister says
Danish prime minister Frederiksen says that a 10-year perspective for hitting the 5% target is “too late, to be very frank and to be honest.”
“My suggestion has been 2030, at latest. And I would like us as Europeans to rearm so we are able to defend ourselves and to deter Russia,” she says.
New 5% target reflects urgent needs we 'were neglectful for decades,' Czech Republic's Pavel says
Czech president Pavel, a retired army general, opens the session by warning that Nato members “will not be safe by sheer numbers, … [but] safe by capabilities.”
“The Supreme Commander in Europe will not fight with a chart.
He will fight with real troops and concrete capabilities, including strategic neighbours, and that’s why we should base our funding on true requirements that are stemming from a NATO Defence planning process.”
He says the new 5% target “is the reflection of needs that we were neglecting for decades, especially here in Europe.”
Updated
Czech Republic’s president Petr Pavel, Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen and Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski are now speaking at the Nato Public Forum.
I will bring you the key news lines.
We have to actively prepare for possibility of UK homeland under threat, government report says
Ahead of today’s summit, the UK has published its National Security Strategy 2025, looking at established and emerging threats facing the country.
Writing in the foreword to the report, prime minister Keir Starmer argued:
“The world has changed.
Russian aggression menaces our continent. Strategic competition is intensifying. Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Technology is transforming the nature of both war and domestic security. Hostile state activity takes place on British soil.
It is an era of radical uncertainty, and we must navigate it with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest.”
The report warned in particular that:
“Many of the rules which have governed the international system in the past are eroding.
Global commons are being contested by major powers like China and Russia, seeking to establish control and secure resources in outer space, cyberspace, the deep sea, and at the Arctic and Antarctic poles.
There will be less scope for agreement on mechanisms which protect fair trade, set controls on science and technological developments and mitigate the effects of climate change, as multilateral institutions decline in influence.”
It added:
“The UK’s national security and growth objectives will be profoundly affected by tensions between the major powers and regulatory blocs on trade, technology and defence.”
The study included particular warnings against Russia and Iran:
“The most obvious and pressing example of this is Russia in its illegal war against a European neighbour. Ukrainians are paying the ultimate price as they find themselves at the frontline of this confrontation.
This war has been accompanied with a campaign of indirect and sub-threshold activity – including cyber attacks and sabotage – by Russia against the UK and other Nato allies and the use of increased nuclear rhetoric in an attempt to constrain our decision making.
Iranian hostile activity on British soil is also increasing, as part of the Iranian regime’s efforts to silence its critics abroad as well as directly threatening the UK.
Meanwhile, some adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression.”
It included this stark warning that:
“For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario.”
Earlier today, minister Pat McFadden said the 5% figure of GDP proposed at Nato was not just what he called “an out of date concept of defence and national security” that saw it “purely as the budget for the armed forces.”
He told listeners:
“Critical as that budget is and those capabilities are, you have to look after your broader security. Our cyber systems, for example, are under attack every day, sometimes by state actors, sometimes by non-state actors.
“That is why things like your telecoms infrastructure and other things that help to make our society work are a really important part of our security.”
Nato confirms Rutte's congratulatory text to Trump
On that Rutte text to Trump (15:44) – the one claiming Trump has done on Iran what “no one else dared to do,” and insisting he was “flying into another big success in The Hague this evening” to “achieve something NO American president in decades could get done”…
Reuters has just reported that Nato officials confirmed the message was sent by Rutte to Trump earlier on Tuesday.
Trump says US commitment to Nato's Article 5 'depends on your definition'
On his way to the Netherlands, US president Donald Trump injected some uncertainty over whether the US would abide by the mutual defense guarantees outlined in the Nato treaty, AP reported, in vague comments made on board of Air Force One.
“Depends on your definition,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday as he was headed to The Hague, where this year’s summit is being held. “There’s numerous definitions of Article Five, you know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends.”
AP added that asked later to clarify, Trump said he is “committed to saving lives” and “committed to life and safety” but did not expand further, saying he didn’t want to elaborate while flying on an airplane.
Police investigating potential crimes to disrupt Dutch trains looking for witnesses
Earlier this morning, I reported on train disruption in the Netherlands disrupting the transport network on the day of the summit.
Speaking at a side event to the main summit, the Dutch security minister admitted that “it could be sabotage” (9:56).
The latest update from the Dutch police says they suspect a criminal act to be the cause of the fire that caused disruptions.
“The police are expressly considering a crime may have been committed and are further investigating the incident. We are looking for possible witnesses,” a police spokesperson told Reuters.
Nato 'at worst much calmer' than Israel-Iran crisis, Trump jokes, as he hopes 'much will be accomplished'
In a separate post, Trump added:
“Heading to Nato where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran. I look forward to seeing all of my very good European friends, and others. Hopefully, much will be accomplished!”
Updated
Trump posts what he claims to be congratulatory text message from Nato's Rutte
On his way to The Hague, US president Donald Trump has just posted what purports to be a text message from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte (but looks really unusual in terms of app design – but then I don’t know what apps US presidents have on their phones).
In it, the contact, saved as Rutte, congratulates Trump on “decisive action in Iran” that was “truly extraordinary” and “something no one else dared to do.”
The contact then goes on to say Trump is “flying into another big success in The Hague,” and adds:
“It was not easy but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent!”
It adds:
“Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”
I think it’s fair to say we can expect reporters to ask Rutte to confirm if this is, indeed, a genuine message from him.
Updated
Nato summit expected to be triumphant for Trump and deflating for Ukraine - analysis
Donald Trump is heading to the Nato summit in The Hague on Tuesday to perform a victory lap. After decades of complaining about European defence spending, with the help of Mark Rutte, Nato’s new secretary general, allies are ready to sign up to a target to raise, in most cases, core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
Barring a dramatic breakdown in that ceasefire, Trump is likely to arrive in a self-congratulatory mood, which most Nato leaders are unlikely to want to puncture at a cut-down summit, designed for leaders with short attention spans.
It will begin with a dinner hosted by the Dutch king, Willem-Alexander, on Tuesday evening, to be followed by a single working meeting on Wednesday morning with press conferences thereafter.
Concerns from earlier this year about whether Trump would reject Nato, withdraw US troops from Europe, abandon Ukraine and pursue a close relationship with Moscow have eased, though none have gone away.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is invited to the dinner, but not to a working meeting with Nato leaders, reflecting the softening US support for Kyiv, where fresh military aid has been halted under Trump.
Jamie Shea, a former Nato spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary general, said the meeting would be “disappointing for Ukraine, especially as most allies would have wanted much stronger language on support, the open door for Ukraine’s Nato membership and a clearer path on sanctions against Russia”.
Damien Gayle reports on the environment for the Guardian, he writes:
Europe risks choosing militarism over social and environmental security, economists have warned, as the head of Nato said all 32 members had agreed to increase weapons spending.
Analyses drafted in anticipation of the Nato summit warned of the opportunity cost that higher military spending would pose to the continent’s climate mitigation and social programmes, which are consistently underfunded.
The alliance’s leading member, the US, and its Dutch secretary general, Mark Rutte, expect members to agree to proposals to dramatically raise defence spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP.
But critics say the focus on military spending, which comes on top of big increases by European countries over the past few years, overlooks the risks to security posed by environmental breakdown and social decay.
“Europe’s public finance debate has never been about what we can afford, but what governments choose to prioritise,” said Sebastian Mang, senior policy officer at the New Economics Foundation (NEF).
“Having already committed to higher defence budgets, plans to raise spending even further expose the double standard applied to investment in climate, housing and care.
“If extraordinary sums can be mobilised for the military, with far lower economic returns and much lower social benefits, then the refusal to fund a just transition and stronger public services is clearly political, not economic.”
According to the Nato proposals, members would increase spending to 3.5% of GDP for “hard defence” such as tanks, bombs and other military hardware, while devoting a further 1.5% to broader security, including cyber threats and military mobility.
An analysis by NEF found the 5% GDP target would require Nato’s EU members alone to increase spending by €613bn a year – a sum considerably higher than the annual shortfall in meeting the bloc’s green and social goals, estimated at €375bn to €526bn.
The UK prime minister Keir Starmer has said Labour would “stick to our manifesto commitments” on tax while increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP.
Speaking after his arrival in the Netherlands and before attending the Nato summit, Starmer denied higher defence spending would be paid for by tax rises. “Every time we’ve set out our defence spending commitments … we set out precisely how we would pay for it, that didn’t involve tax rises,” he said.
“Clearly we’ve got commitments in our manifesto about not making tax rises on working people and we will stick to our manifesto commitments.”
Nato members willingly increasing defence spending amid rising threat from Russia, says Rutte
Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general, said it was “not a difficult thing” to get members to agree to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP because of the rising threat from Russia – and stressed that Trump remained “absolutely” committed to supporting the alliance.
In an interview on the eve of the western alliance’s summit, Rutte told the Guardian that all 32 members had agreed to increase defence spending because “there is so much at stake” after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Under the planned agreement, Nato members would commit to raising defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% allocated to broader security-related investments, including cybersecurity and intelligence.
Rutte said: “The security situation has changed so much, and people know that when the call comes [in the event an attack on a Nato member] … you now need to deliver to the collective endeavour, what you promised, that you better have your stuff there.”
It is a critical moment for the alliance, with the war in Ukraine now in its fourth year after Russia’s 2022 invasion, and the risk of a worsening conflict in the Middle East despite Donald Trump’s declaration of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
Speaking in his home town of The Hague, Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, described Russia as “the most significant and direct threat” to Nato, warning that Moscow could be capable of launching an attack on alliance members within three to five years.
“It’s clear that they [Russia] want to extend their territory,” Rutte said. “For a couple of years now, they’ve been reconstituting themselves rapidly.”
A senior minister in the UK government has said the British prime minister Keir Starmer is at the Nato summit and is “expected to agree a new commitment to grow spending on national security to 5% of GDP by 2035.”
McFadden says the money contains “a projected split of 3.5% on core defence spending and 1.5% on broader resilience and security spending.”
He continues by saying:
Nato’s member countries meet at a time when the security situation is more in flux than at any time in a generation, a time when Ukraine is in its fourth year of resisting Russia’s invasion, a time when we in Europe are being asked to do more secure our defence, a time when security can no longer be thought of just as the traditional realms of air, sea and land, but also of technology, of cyber, of the strength of our democratic society.
There is more detail on that in our UK politics live blog.
Russia will be capable of testing our defences by 2030, EU's von der Leyen says, calling for 'new ways how to do things'
EU’s von der Leyen also promises to create “conducive, right conditions” for better procurement, both within the EU, but also with candidate countries and other key partners, like the UK.
She warns:
“We know that Russia will be capable of testing our mutual defence commitments within the next five years.
By 2030 Europe must have everything it needs for credible deterrence … but this requires a new mindset for all of us.
We must be ready to leave our comfort zone. We must be ready to explore new ways how to do things, bringing together the tech and the defence, the civilian and the military in Europe, and of course, beyond the European Union.”
Future of Europe is written on Ukrainian frontline and in defence factories, EU's von der Leyen says
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen opens by paying tribute to the defence industry by saying “the future of Europe is being written on the frontline in Ukraine, but not only, it is also being written in your factories.”
“In record time, you have managed to open new lines and step up production.
You’re adapting to the new reality of a full scale war right here on European soil, and just like your industry, all of Europe is facing a changing international landscape.
As we’ve just heard, rightly so, the security architecture that we relied on for decades can no longer be taken for granted. It is a once in a generation tectonic shift.”
Praising amended, ramped-up defence plans and calls for on-going modernisation of the European armies and more support for dual-use projects, she declares:
“The Europe of defence has finally awakened.”
Updated
Unthinkable that Russia should be able to outproduce us, Nato's Rutte says
Following Brekelmans, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte repeats his call about the need to push for more military investment and production.
“There is an ancient Roman saying, if you want peace, prepare for war. It’s a simple idea, make your defences so strong that no one dares to attack you. Today, NATO’s military edge is being aggressively challenged by rapidly rearming Russia, backed by Chinese technology and armed with Iranian and North Korean weapons. We need to unite, innovate and deliver and that’s exactly what this forum is all about.”
In stark words, he says:
We need to do more. We need to do it better and together, and we need to do it now.
It is simply unthinkable that Russia, with an economy 25 times smaller than Nato’s, should be able to outproduce and outgun us.
We must spend more to prevent war. We must win this new war of production. That’s what this summit is all about.
Middle East crisis 'underscores growing instability' facing Nato, Dutch defence minister says
Another side event, The Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum, is starting now, where we should hear some of key European leaders before the summit proper gets under way later tonight.
Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans is delivering the welcome address.
He says “within the next 24 hours, we expect all 32 Nato allies to agree on the 5%” as part of “The Hague defence investment pledge.”
“This week’s events in the Middle East have only underscored the growing instability in the world and the urgent need to strengthen our defence and scale up our defence industry.”
On that earlier report that Zelenskyy was hoping to see Trump on the sidelines of the summit (11:19)…
We are now hearing from a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency that the pair are indeed expected to meet.
AFP noted that Zelensky’s top aide Andriy Yermak said he had discussed preparations for the upcoming meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Updated
We cannot expect to go back to calmer times soon, Merz says
Closing, Merz warns that “we cannot expect the world around us to return to calmer times anytime soon,” but says it is right to prepare for this new reality.
He ends by repeating the point about “ensuring that Germany regains its strength, both internally and externally.”
Updated
EU should simplify regulations, push to strike trade deals, Merz says
On EU policy, Merz welcomes the European Commission’s push to simplify its regulations and says it is “a first step, which must be followed by many more” and baked in “a new culture of restraint in regulation.”
He also calls for simplifying EU trade policies to not expect the world to align with its regulations and standards, avoiding “years-long, gruelling” adoption processes.
He says he hopes for a swift resolution of the trade dispute with the US “by the beginning of July,” but says the EU will defend its interests.
He then moves to a domestic bit, stressing the need to kickstart growth, including by removing “the bureaucractic burden” on companies.
Updated
Merz hails Nato summit 'historic' with spending rise to prepare for threats
Turning to Nato, Merz says “it is no exaggeration to call this summit historic” given its importance to increasing defence spending among the members of the alliance.
He says allies are “not doing this, as some have claimed, to do the US and its president a favour,” but in recognition of genuine threats they face, primarily from Russia.
He also highlights the German plan to ramp up defence spending with the aim of making the Bundeswehr “the strongest conventional army in Europe,” ready to defend Germany and support allies.
“For far too long we in Germany have ignored the warnings of our Baltic neighbors about Russia.
We have recognised this error. There is no turning back from this realization.”
Making a point about a recent deployment of troops to Lithuania, he says:
“The security of Lithuania is also the security of Germany.”
Russia shows no interest in peace and should face stricter sanctions, Merz says
Moving on to Ukraine, Merz says that by taking advantage of the shift in global focus to the Middle East and continuing his attacks on Ukraine, Russia’s Vladimir Putin shows no genuine interest in pursuing peace.
He stresses that “a real, lasting peace requires a willingness … on all sides,” and the signals coming from Russia are showing “it is currently not ready for peace; quite the opposite.”
He urges EU allies to back the 18th sanction package to “hit the shadow fleet that Putin is using to finance his war machine,” and he says he repeatedly lobbied the US administration to follow the suit.
“I remain confident that the American government will follow this path,” he says.
Merz signals criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza; calls for stability in the Middle East
On Israel, Merz stresses “Israel has a right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens,” and Germany will stand united with it.
But he then appears to signal his criticism of the Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, saying he is “questioning what goal Israel is trying to achieve” there.
He calls for “human dignity” for the residents of Gaza and says the moment has come to agree a ceasefire.
On Iran, he makes it very clear that “Iran must not possess nuclear weapons,” and praises Israeli and US strikes on targets there – but adds the time is now for a ceasefire there, too.
He says “we will consult with our American and European partners” on the sidelines of the Nato summit “on how the situation can now be further stabilised.”
Germany, Europe need to respond to challenges, show strength and reliability, Merz says
Opening his speech, Merz says Germany and Europe must face a number of threats from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Hamas’s attack on Israel, and the Iranian plans to develop its nuclear weapons programme.
He says this is the new reality to which democracies need to respond, using all formats of the European Union, G7, and Nato.
He says the fact these groups are meeting three times within two weeks show both the gravity of the challenges ahead, but also “the opportunities for Germany and Europe” to shape the future.
“We need strength and reliability, both internally and externally,” he says to the applause from lawmakers.
Meloni is not the only national leader addressing their parliament before going to The Hague.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz is speaking in the Bundestag right now.
I will bring you the key news lines here.
Meloni says higher defence spending must benefit Italian firms
Meanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni told the Italian parliament that if the country spends more on defence to meet its international commitments, the extra outlays should benefit Italian companies rather than foreign ones.
Her comments come just before the Nato summit in The Hague, where leaders are expected to agree to the increased 5% GDP spending on defence.
US Nato representative hints at Trump’s remarks on expectations for alliance, lauds his Middle East actions
Whittaker also says that he is expecting US president Donald Trump “might deliver some remarks” on his views on the summit, as he stresses that “we need to make sure that everyone’s investing in the common defence of the Alliance.”
“I don’t want to … sort of … steal what he might say, nor do I claim to be able to read his mind and know what he’s going to say. But I think he has demonstrated through, again, decisive action leading to peace.”
He also lauds Trump’s “leadership in making the right decision at the right time” and says it may have “changed everyone’s calculation and lead to that area [the Middle East] … calming down.”
“And again, that’s good for Europe, because there’s been a lot of irregular flows of migrants through Europe, from the Middle East because of the instability.
And so hopefully, with Syria now appearing to be stable, with Iran, maybe in check a little more than they had been, I think we could really see a generational moment here where the Middle East is more stable than it has been in a while.”
'Most consequential moment' for Nato, US representative says, as he insists 'US isn't going anywhere'
US permanent representative to Nato Matthew Whittaker is now speaking at the Nato Public Forum.
He says the US expectations of this summit “have been pretty clear” with the focus on 5% GDP spending.
He says the Hague summit is “a historic moment, probably one of the most consequential moments in this Alliance’s history,” which he hopes will lead to “a renaissance of our defence industries, both here on the European continent and in North America.”
“That strength is what’s going to deliver peace for generations to come, because no one will want to mess with Nato and the Alliance.”
Whittaker says he hopes to see the transition to Europe taking the primary responsibility for Europe’s security, but stresses “the US isn’t going anywhere.”
“I have said that many times, and I know you have heard me say it, the United States is going to be a reliable ally, and as you see, and as you’ve seen over the last several days, the United States has certain capabilities that you want an alliance to have.”
Pushed again on the US involvement in Nato, he adds:
“We’ve never been more engaged, that’s the thing.
I sound like a broken record, and I am sure there are people in this room that have heard me say this in many different places, whether it’s in Estonia or Latvia or in Turkey wherever I’ve been.
The United States isn’t going anywhere. We’re expecting our European allies to step up to be equal partners with us in the alliance and again, that strength, with all of us all 32 allies is what’s going to deliver that peace, but the United States is here to stay.”
Russia criticises Nato's 'rampant militarisation'
Previewing the Nato summit, the Kremlin criticised the alliance’s “rampant militarisation” as it criticised the proposal for member countries to ramp up defence spending, AFP reported.
“The alliance is assuredly going along the path of rampant militarisation. Europe is going along the path of rampant militarisation. This is the reality that surrounds us,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Zelenskyy plans to meet Trump on sidelines of Nato summit
There are more quotes from Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in his interview with Sky News’s Mark Austin.
On plans to meet Trump on the sidelines of the Nato summit:
I am planning [to]. I don’t know what will happen, the teams are working on this, but there are plans to meet.
On whether Trump has a better relationship with Putin than him:
It’s a complicated question because I truly don’t know what relationship Trump has with Putin. … I am confident that president Trump understands that Ukrainians are allies to America, and the real existential enemy of America is Russia. They will never be friends. They may be short term partners, but they will never be friends.
On prospects for Ukraine’s Nato membership:
I believe it is an advantageous proposal for Nato today to have an ally like Ukraine, with Nato weapons, with new technology. … We have no secrets, and experienced people with 10 years of different types of fighting. … It isn’t just the battlefield, it’s the economy, … it’s cyber-attacks, it’s the banking system, it’s the energy sector… Nato doesn’t have this experience.
I’m not saying we would be in Nato, but if somebody says, Ukraine needs Nato, I believe that this is a mutual opportunity. Nato needs Ukrainians, too.
On ceasefire:
A ceasefire is nobody’s victory and nobody’s defeat. It’s a compromise on both ends. Both sides in this war had absolutely different goals. The Russians intended to occupy us, and they are open about that. Ukrainians intended to stop that, and this is a war for independence.
Asked if Ukraine is losing the war?
No, I don’t think so. This isn’t a simple situation for us, but it is not as difficult as in the first days of the invasion.
On if he supports for the US strikes on Iran:
“Yes, the destruction of their capabilities, their capability to kill people, yes. I believe this is a powerful and correct move.”
On the Middle East crisis drawing the attention away from Ukraine:
“It is a big problem, the political focus is changing, and this means the aid from partners, above all from the US, may be reduce and we don’t want that.”
On Putin taking advantage of that shift:
“Putin will lose politically in any event, because he’s shown [what] an ally of Iran [he is]. He will lose because he won’t be able to give Iran anything, because he is not as powerful as the legend has.”
European allies should 'stop worrying so much' about US, Rutte says
Discussing the US commitment to Nato, Rutte says that for a long time European allies overly worried about whether the US would appoint a new Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, or Saceur.
He said he always argued it was unnecessary worry and that was confirmed by the appointment of Lieutenant General Alexus G. Grynkewich.
“Guess what? The new Supreme Allied Commander has been announced, and last time I checked his passport, it was the US, so that didn’t happen.
So my message to my European colleagues is: stop worrying so much. Start to make sure that you get investment plans done, that you get industrial base up and running, that the support for Ukraine remains at a high level.
This is what you should work on and stop running around being worried about the US. They are there, they are with us.”
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is now speaking on the opening session of the Nato Public Forum, who proudly speaks of his connections with The Hague where he was born and raised.
He starts once again by making the argument for the new 5% GDP target, warning about Russia’s military ramp up.
Train disruption on Nato summit day 'could be sabotage', Dutch minister says
Kicking off the Nato Public Forum, Dutch justice and security minister David van Well says the organisers looked at some 40 scenarios that could disrupt the summit, including state actors, terrorists, activists, and cyber-attacks.
I think you’re probably in one of the safest spaces in the world right now.
But when he gets asked about major train disruptions on lines between Utrecht and Amsterdam, with no trains running to and from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, and disruptions on lines to The Hague due to a power failure, he admits:
“That could be sabotage, that’s one of the things that we’re looking into. And then the question is, well, who was behind it?
That can be activist group, it can be state actor led, it can be any kind.
The main thing we’re trying to do now is make sure that those cables get repaired and that we get the traffic flowing, because in combination with the summit where we close down highways and people rely on public transport a lot more.”
Dutch media outlet NRC said there was “considerable damage” to around thirty power cables, with the cause of the fire currently unknown.
Zelenskyy says Nato spending ramp up is 'slow,' warns of possible Russian attack on Nato within five years
Zelenskyy also warned that even the proposed, radically increased, Nato spending target of 5% of GDP might be too low.
He told Sky News:
“In my view, this is slow because we believe that starting from 2030 Putin can have significantly greater capabilities.
Today, Ukraine is holding him up. He has no time to drill the army, and they are all getting annihilated and wiped out at the battlefield.”
Zelenskyy also said he believed Russia’s Putin could try to attack a Nato member within the next five years.
The full interview will be broadcast later this morning, and I will monitor it for more news lines.
Zelenskyy urges Nato to sanction companies providing components for Russian missiles
Speaking with Sky News before the Nato summit begins, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to step up their sanctions to cover more producers of components used for missile strikes on Ukraine.
Components for their missiles – and missiles are the most painful strikes – are coming in from other countries, including the UK, not too much, but including the UK.
He said “it’s … mostly China, Taiwan, but also Europe, also Germany, also eastern Europe.”
“There are lists of these companies and lists of these components, we are monitoring this.
It is vitally important for us, and we are handing this list over to our partners and asking them to apply sanctions. Otherwise the Russians will have [more] missiles.”
Morning opening: Nato summit day 1
After a very long buildup, it’s time for the main event to finally begin. The 2025 Nato summit in The Hague starts today.
It’s very much a slow start with many leaders, including US president Donald Trump, only expected to arrive in late afternoon to take part in an official dinner starting at 7pm local time.
But even before then, we should get some early indications as to key positions and issues to be discussed at the summit as a number of side events get under way this morning.
We will hear from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and a long list of national ministers and senior officials taking part in the Nato Public Forum and the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum.
And even before leaving for The Hague, German chancellor Friedrich Merz will address the Bundestag, presenting his government’s plans to ramp up defence spending as part of the new Nato 5% GDP target.
It should be a lively day. Stay with us for all the latest updates.
It’s Tuesday, 24 June 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
