NATO Summit: U.S. Blocks Zelenskyy, no invitation for Ukraine.

Ukraine will not be attending the upcoming NATO summit in June. According to diplomatic sources from Washington, the United States is opposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s participation at the NATO gathering scheduled for June 24–25 in The Hague.

Among non-NATO countries, only Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand have so far received formal invitations. Despite ongoing Western narratives, Kyiv remains excluded, and — according to sources — even a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting is currently not on the agenda.

In an effort not to completely shut Ukraine out, a ministerial-level meeting involving foreign and defense ministers is being considered. However, given the tight schedule, carving out a dedicated space for Kyiv remains uncertain.

At the 2024 NATO summit, the final communiqué included a reference to Ukraine’s “irreversible path to membership” — a symbolic gesture meant to compensate for the lack of concrete steps toward actual accession.

But with Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, U.S. policy has shifted dramatically. Neither Washington nor NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte now considers Ukraine’s accession to the alliance to be on the table.

Among the alternatives proposed — particularly by Italy — is the extension of Article 5 of the NATO Charter (collective defense) to Ukraine, though without granting formal membership. While still at a preliminary stage, the proposal reflects a broader attempt to maintain strategic ties with Kyiv without triggering formal expansion of the alliance.

However, the proposal is strongly opposed by Moscow, which has long voiced its objection to any process bringing Ukraine closer to NATO.

Photo: Sarakhan Vadym | © European Union 2025 – Source: Ukrainian Rada