Orban states NATO members’ chiefs snubbed Zelensky at main summit
(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed that several NATO leaders, including those from the United States, Turkey, Slovakia, and Hungary, are intentionally avoiding Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the ongoing summit in The Hague.
Speaking ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, Orban pointed out that Zelensky would only be present at an informal dinner and would not take part in the summit's official sessions. He suggested this signals the end of a previous phase of NATO-Ukraine engagement.
Orban emphasized that this marks a major shift compared to past years, saying that the four nations made it clear they did not want to be at the same table as Zelensky during NATO discussions. He reiterated Hungary’s opposition to Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union, arguing such moves would risk dragging the West into a direct war with Russia.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto echoed Orban’s sentiment, noting that the focus of the 2025 NATO summit has moved away from ramping up support for Ukraine and toward reinforcing the alliance’s collective defense. With Ukraine’s NATO membership now off the table, he said, “rationality has prevailed” and a direct confrontation with Russia has been averted.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would “probably” meet Zelensky on the sidelines, describing the Ukrainian leader as being in a “tough situation” and suggesting he “should have never been there” in the first place.
According to The Washington Post, NATO leaders are carefully managing tensions between Trump and Zelensky, aiming to present a united front despite underlying divisions. Organizers even ensured the two leaders were placed far apart in the official summit photo, reportedly to minimize any public friction.
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