The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) convened its 2025 summit in The Hague, Netherlands, from June 24 to 25. This summit was unprecedented in its scale, symbolism, and strategic decisions, particularly given the backdrop of continuing Russian military action against Ukraine, evolving transatlantic dynamics in the second term of President Donald Trump in the U.S., and growing calls for European defence autonomy.[1] With participation from 45 heads of state and thousands of delegates, the summit was a defining moment for NATO’s trajectory in the second half of the 2020s.[2]
Hosted at the World Forum in The Hague, the summit brought together representatives from all 32 NATO member states. Special attention was accorded to the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump, who’s past scepticism toward NATO spurred a charm offensive by the Dutch hosts, including official dinners at the royal palace.[3] Also present were the alliance’s four Asia-Pacific partners, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea (though the latter did not send a head of state). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a side dinner, reflecting Ukraine’s continuing but still incomplete engagement with NATO.[4] This summit also marked the first under NATO’s new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands.[5]
Read More