VILNIUS: Ukraine has been invited to a NATO summit later in June, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, after earlier warning it would be a 鈥渧ictory鈥� for Russia if it was not there.
The heads of NATO states will gather in The Hague, Netherlands, from June 24-26, with Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump鈥檚 calls for alliance members to ramp up defense spending set to dominate the agenda.
鈥淲e were invited to the NATO summit. I think this is important,鈥� Zelensky said Monday after he held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Vilnius.
Kyiv is seeking to shore up its support from Europe because of uncertainties over vital military aid under Trump.
Last week Zelensky had said that 鈥渋f Ukraine is not present at the NATO summit, it will be a victory for Putin, but not over Ukraine, but over NATO.鈥�
Zelensky wants NATO to offer security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia 鈥� something Moscow has called 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥�