5 months Ago
The King commended NATO’s achievements in creating a shield for peace and freedom, though he also urged them to reflect. Member states need to ask whether the alliance is ready for the threats of today and whether those burdens and benefits are being shared out exactly equally, he said.
“These are questions that are all the more pertinent given that the threat we face from Russia and other hostile states is evolving in ways we’ve never seen before – both in terms of scale and its complexity – from Russian aggression on land in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria, to a sustained campaign of Russian cyber espionage and disruption, from Russia’s use of terrorists and gangsters to target our country - yes I am referring to the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 - and to interference in free elections - yes I am referring to Russian interference in the Macedonian elections - to the attacks that Russian hackers have perpetrated against Britain’s national infrastructure.
NATO’s Global Reach at Royal Event onCreateOptionsMenu Surrender yourself to these autumnal camps, for adults only.
King Willem-Alexander mentioned in particular the article 3 of the NATO Treaty, in which the member states sign on to “contribute to maintaining and developing their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack”. He also gave a warm welcome to the American president (Donald Trump), thanking the United States for the long standing friendship with the Netherlands.
The event was attended by about 45 world leaders, including Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Some non-NATO partners also participated — leaders of Ukraine, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand — which shows NATO’s growing reach around the world.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council president, António Costa, were also in attendance.
Delays, Diplomacy, and What’s at Stake for the Summit
Trump was due to arrive in London earlier but was held up traveling from Washington, due to a 10-hour Air Force One flight that needed refueling while he was in the air – Trump arrived at the palace after 8.30 pm This morning he shared messages from former Dutch Prime Minister and current NATO leader Mark Rutte who praised Trump’s influence in getting a deal to increase defense spending to 5 percent GDP.
Before dinner, King Willem-Alexander emphasized the importance of the NATO summit for both the alliance itself and for the Netherlands. “We’re assuming that the entire world is going to be watching this very, very closely,” he said.
He also said that he was still available to help out the Dutch prime minister and NATO’s Secretary General during the summit. "As the Netherlands, we need to fully show that we have faith in the EU leadership and the transatlantic cooperation for the future. And that, it’s what has given us 80 years of peace and security.”
Organists complained about logistical problems in assigning seats, especially in the context of diplomatic sensitivities. For example, the U.S. rejected a format that would put Trump across from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite him being a guest of honor in past years.
And there was no meeting scheduled with the military alliance’s Asian-Pacific partners, even though such nations are being pulled more closely into collaboration in the face of China’s expanding global reach.
