Mark Rutte has confirmed that Ukraine had been invited to the NATO Summit in the Netherlands, set to be held in The Hague on June 24-25, 2025.
The NATO Secretary-General’s announcement is sure to ruffle Russia’s feathers, especially since its peace memorandum submitted to Kyiv at the latest Istanbul peace talks demanded that it stay neutral as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.
Rutte’s remarks came before the opening of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting taking place at the bloc’s headquarters in Brussels today, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany, the meeting comes amid renewed US efforts to bring about peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Rutte also stated that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was critical for the adoption of more ambitious targets to prepare for new, emerging threats.
“These targets set out what forces and concrete capabilities every ally needs to provide to strengthen our deterrence and defence. Air and missile defence, long-range weapons, logistics, and large land manoeuvre formations are among our top priorities.”
Mark Rutte
Rutte emphasised the need for more resources, forces and capabilities so “that we are prepared to face any threat, and to implement our collective defence plans in full.”
He added that in order to deliver on those new targets, a significantly higher defence spending was necessary.
In that regard, UK Defence Secretary, John Healey confirmed plans to deliver drones to assist Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, asserting that this was “not just Ukraine’s battle” but a battle for “the security of Europe, for our security today, tomorrow and for our future generations.”
Overall, new aid packages for Ukraine are expected from other countries, as well as further details on previously committed support.
The UDCG meeting will be followed by a meeting of Defence Ministers from NATO nations on Thursday, June 5, 2025, which he has touted as a “huge leap forward.”
US Defence Secretary Absent At Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting
The Pentagon’s Chief is absent for the first time since the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was set up three years ago.
U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth would only arrive in Brussels after it’s over. He will participate in a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers on Thursday.
His absence is the latest in a series of steps that Washington has taken to distance itself from Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to UN estimates, as well as tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides.
The United States hasn’t chaired a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group since the Trump administration took office in January.
European NATO allies are concerned that the U.S. might withdraw troops from Europe to focus on the Indo-Pacific. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that abandoning Ukraine would erode U.S. credibility in deterring any conflict with China over Taiwan.
When asked about Hegseth’s absence, Rutte assured the gathering that America was still “completely committed” to NATO and helping Ukraine, adding that the Pentagon chief would attend NATO talks tomorrow.
Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, created the group after Russia launched all-out war on Ukraine in 2022.
Since then, Ukraine’s backers have collectively provided around $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, including more than $66.5 billion from the US.
The first meeting took place on April 26, 2022, at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany – one of the main US military bases in Europe. That is why the initiative received the informal name “Ramstein” or “Ramstein meeting.”
Although subsequent meetings have taken place in other countries (e.g, Brussels or online), the name “Ramstein” has remained as a symbol of united international support for Ukraine.
READ ALSO: GoldBod Pledges Full Traceability of Gold to Curb Illegally Mined Gold
