Zelensky Apparently Not Invited to Upcoming Hague NATO Summit

May 15 ------ The US is reportedly opposed to inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the upcoming NATO summit in the Hague, according to a May 14 report by Italy’s ANSA news agency, citing unnamed sources. If confirmed, this could mark a departure from the tradition of inviting Ukraine to NATO summits at Vilnius in 2023 and Washington in 2024. 

Zelensky has previously had tension with Western partners for their reluctance to commit to demands for Ukraine joining NATO. At the Vilnius NATO summit in 2024, the Ukrainian leader blasted the “vague wording” not specifying a concrete timeline for Ukraine’s NATO accession as “absurd.” Invitations will be sent to non-NATO members, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.  

US President Donald Trump has recently sent mixed signals on support for Ukraine, including increasing criticism of Russia. Last March, following a public fight in the Oval Office, Trump threw cool water on Ukraine’s NATO ambitions: “He [Zelensky] wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that..” 

Source: kyivpost.com