German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin “only understands the language of force.” He stated that the “historic” NATO summit, set to begin on Tuesday in The Hague, aims to guarantee peace in Europe for future generations.
Speaking to the German Parliament hours before the summit, Merz reiterated that Putin remains determined for Ukraine to be part of Russia. He pledged that Berlin would pay “its fair share” to defend Europe.
U.S. President Donald Trump is also en route to The Hague for his first NATO summit since 2019. Leaders at the summit are expected to commit to spending 3.5 percent of their Gross Domestic Product on defense and an additional 1.5 percent on related infrastructure.
NATO Unity and Ukraine Support
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged European colleagues not to worry about American commitment to the Western alliance, but to focus on investing in defense and supporting Ukraine. He insisted that the U.S. President and senior leadership are “fully committed” to NATO. Rutte noted that Europe and Canada have already pledged over $35 billion in aid to Ukraine this year.
Escalating Attacks in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russian attacks in Ukraine on Tuesday killed ten people. The German Chancellor stated that all attempts to bring Russia to the negotiating table have been unsuccessful. Rocket attacks in the eastern city of Dnipro and the nearby town of Samar left 11 people dead and 150 wounded, according to regional head Serhiy Lysak. A number of children were injured in the Dnipro attack after a missile damaged a kindergarten and a passenger train. Another missile attack in Sumy killed three people, including a child.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in The Hague and is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit. This will be their first meeting since their encounter in April at the Vatican, on the day of Pope Francis’s funeral.
