Key Points and Summary – At this week’s NATO summit in The Hague, Ukraine was largely sidelined as the alliance focused on internal matters, primarily a new commitment to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP to placate US President Donald Trump.
-While European allies pledged new military aid—including German artillery rockets, Dutch F-16s, and British-funded drones—the final summit declaration omitted previous language about Ukraine’s “irreversible path” to membership.
-This shift, combined with a strained and brief meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaves Kyiv in a precarious position, increasingly dependent on European support as US commitment appears to wane.
NATO’s Hollow Victory: Ukraine Left Exposed as Putin Gains Ground
In a summit that was meant to project strength, NATO may have inadvertently sent the opposite message, at least to Kyiv.
This week’s gathering in The Hague, hailed as a diplomatic success for President Donald Trump, saw the alliance commit to increasing defense spending to 5% of national budgets and reaffirm Article 5’s collective defense clause.
Yet, behind the fanfare, Ukraine was left out in the cold.
Trump Pushes NATO Toward Higher Spending
While Trump claimed victory on NATO finances, he simultaneously stoked fears in Eastern Europe.
His ambiguous comments about NATO’s readiness to respond to hybrid threats have unsettled the Baltic states.
For Ukraine, the snub was even sharper: the final declaration failed to condemn Russia’s full-scale invasion directly, and President Volodymyr Zelensky was given little more than a symbolic nod.
After over three years of attritional war, Ukraine’s position is increasingly precarious. Russian forces are making incremental gains around Pokrovsk, and the Ukrainian military faces mounting internal strain.
Combat injuries have sidelined many of Ukraine’s seasoned fighters, and Zelensky has been forced to expand conscription to younger age groups, including those aged 18–24.
In a pointed Oval Office exchange, Trump reportedly warned Zelensky that Ukraine was “running low on soldiers,” while Vice President JD Vance derided Ukraine’s recruitment policies.
For a country fighting for survival, the remarks were callous at best—and a sign of dwindling American appetite for open-ended support.
Kyiv Desperate for Weapons
As U.S. assistance hangs in the balance, Kyiv is scrambling to plug the gaps with European help. Germany has secured Washington’s approval to send 125 long-range artillery rockets and 100 Patriot missiles.
The Netherlands completed the final delivery of its 24 F-16s, and Norway may double its contribution. Britain announced funding for joint drone production, while Berlin pledged €5 billion to develop Ukraine’s long-range missile capacity.
Russia’s Boost from North Korea Partnership
These moves are welcome, but insufficient.
Ukraine’s defence industry cannot outpace Russia’s, especially with Pyongyang pumping weapons into Putin’s arsenal. Kyiv’s pleas for Tomahawk cruise missiles or airpower capable of neutralizing Russia’s Su-35s continue to fall on deaf ears in Washington.
Yet, Ukraine endures. Its military ingenuity remains a wildcard: Operation Spiderweb and successful defensive maneuvers in Sumy show a nation still capable of outsmarting a lumbering aggressor. But grit alone won’t win this war.
NATO’s decision to sideline Ukraine risks confirming Putin’s long game: wait out the West. If the alliance’s resolve crumbles in Kyiv, its credibility will erode far beyond Eastern Europe. NATO may have bolstered its ledger, but it has weakened its soul.
A fortress with reinforced walls is meaningless if it abandons the very ally standing at the gate.
About the Author:
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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