Key points
- The 76th NATO summit in the Netherlands has become the most expensive in history, although it will last only two days.
- Donald Trump's visit to the summit was threatened by demands for increased defense spending, but a compromise was reached.
The 76th NATO summit has begun in the Netherlands, and it has become the most expensive one. At the same time, it will last only two days.
The main intrigue of the summit was whether US President Donald Trump, who had set certain demands for his presence at the event, would arrive in The Hague. Channel 24 presenter Andriana Kucher, who is in the Netherlands, spoke about the important events of the summit.
Trump's visit was under threat
Donald Trump is expected at the summit in The Hague today, June 24. He is scheduled to attend the grand opening at the royal residence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also be present at the event.
The US President had previously stated that his meeting with the Ukrainian leader could take place in The Hague. And according to preliminary information, they should hold talks on June 25, Kucher said.
At the same time, Trump's visit to the summit was under threat. The main obstacle was that Spain had publicly spoken out against allocating 5% of GDP to defense. This was the condition the US President had set for NATO member countries.
Trump said NATO should sort things out with Spain, and it probably did, since Spain dropped its public objections. NATO partners probably promised Spain more flexibility.
At the same time, the Alliance leaders agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next 10 years. Although Trump's position was for a shorter period – five years, that is, until 2030.
Knowing Donald Trump's character and his unpredictable style, world leaders are very concerned. They and the summit organizers tried to do everything possible to calm the US president. However, the threat to the unity of the Alliance looms, the host emphasized.
At the same time, Trump's victory, which allowed him to be in The Hague, since he probably threatened his allies not to come if an agreement was not reached, is also a partial victory for Ukraine.
Because of these 5% of GDP, each country will spend at least 3.5% on increasing its own defense capability, and up to 1.5% on a project that is tied in a certain way to defense spending, in particular, on the construction of bridges, interchanges, and also on aid to Ukraine.
The most expensive NATO summit in history
The Gaza event also stands out for being the most expensive NATO summit in history, given the length of time world leaders will spend there. One minute of EU leaders' time at the summit in The Hague costs more than a million euros.
This is happening, in particular, because the summit program was significantly shortened in order to again not irritate Donald Trump and, if possible, avoid any disputes on the sidelines of the event, she noted.
For comparison, the costs of the current NATO summit are six times higher than those of last year’s, which took place in Vilnius.
At the same time, the Netherlands took security measures very seriously. Half of the country's police force was deployed to work at the summit.
However, this causes some indignation in Dutch society: was it appropriate to spend so much money on holding the event, since the funding came from the budget of the Netherlands, said Andriana Kucher.
Many streets in The Hague have been closed during the summit, with traffic on key highways blocked. Residents have been asked to stay home if possible, and employees have been advised to work remotely.
