NATO Chief Butters Up Trump, While Touting Ukraine’s ‘Irreversible Path’ To NATO Membership

Before President Trump’s Air Force One even touched down in The Hague to attend this week’s major NATO summit, he was responding somewhat coldly when asked about his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and whether they will meet.

The White House clarified that such a meeting will take place at some point on the sidelines of the summit, but pro-Kiev pundits are reacting to the following exchange with a reporter as an insult to Zelensky and to Ukraine…

“Do you think you’ll meet with Zelensky [at NATO]?”@POTUS: “Yeah, probably I’ll see him.”

“What would you say to him?”@POTUS: “I’ll say, ‘How ya doing?’”

pic.twitter.com/zio42p5rAX

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 24, 2025

The last time the two leaders met was in April on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral, which resulted in the famous photo of the two sitting face-to-face, talking intensely, in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Trump only said to reporters Tuesday that he “would probably meet” with Zelensky, and reports now say that the sit-down could happen as soon as tomorrow afternoon.

The US has shut the door on Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, and Trump is only expected to discuss new anti-Russia sanctions as well as purchase of a fresh weapons package from the US with Zelensky.

But NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is still busy touting an ‘irreversible’ path of Ukraine toward NATO. He said ahead of the summit’s start:

“I can announce that now new estimates showing that our European and Canadian allies have stepped up, they will provide over €35 billion of additional security assistance to Ukraine for the year ahead,” the NATO chief said.

Rutte said there was agreement within the alliance on the need to keep up support. 

“This is the reason why, I think also last year in Washington, NATO allies agreed that for Ukraine, there is an irreversible path of Ukraine to enter NATO,” Rutte told reporters. “That is still true today, and it will still be true on Thursday after this summit.”

Reporters at The Hague are busy contrasting Rutte’s warmth and embrace of Zelensky’s with Trump’s apparent coolness…

Hugs and this from NATO Sec Gen Rutte to Zelensky: “We will continue to build the bridge for Ukraine’s irreversible path to NATO membership.” https://t.co/3GQooqadT2

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 24, 2025

Rutte is clearly trying to stay on Trump’s good side, meanwhile, having issued a letter praising Trump’s ‘extraordinary’ decision to hit Iran’s nuclear sites.

The head of NATO has formally congratulated the US president in a private text message which has been revealed as follows:

The message was confirmed by the White House as authentic, after some questioned it, given how gushing it was: “You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening,” he continued, explaining how other member states have agreed to increase their defense spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product,” Rutte wrote.

“Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” he wrote. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”