Trump can still be swayed to support Ukraine – diplomat

NATO member states have agreed to raise funding for the military-political alliance from 2% to 5% of GDP — a move that benefits Ukraine by reaffirming the country’s role as a key part of European security, according to foreign and security policy expert Oleksandr Khara.

“This includes 3.5% of GDP for defense and 1.5% for infrastructure and related projects,” Khara, a diplomat and analyst at the Centre for Defence Strategies, told Espreso TV. “It’s a clear signal to Trump that NATO is serious about security and ready to invest in it. Some countries, like Canada, even want to count military aid to Ukraine within that 5%.”

Khara believes the NATO summit on June 24–25 in The Hague may have begun to shift U.S. President Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine. He noted that Trump now sees even a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war as difficult, let alone a full peace. During the summit, Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense — a principle he had previously questioned over member contributions.

Khara also pointed to comments by U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Gen. Keith Kellogg, who reportedly proposed using Ukraine’s potential NATO membership as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Russia.

“If Trump, Kellogg, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say Ukraine won’t be joining NATO, Kellogg also floated the idea of using that as a trade-off — telling Moscow that Ukraine won’t join if Russia ends the war and makes other concessions,” Khara explained. “So the NATO-Ukraine issue is still hanging in the air.”

He emphasized that the U.S. must give the green light for advanced weapons deliveries to Ukraine — particularly systems only the U.S. can provide and which may run out by mid- or late summer, including air defense.

“A signal of readiness to sell weapons would mean no restrictions on using arms from other countries containing U.S. components. That’s critical for us,” Khara concluded.

• During the summit, President Trump confirmed that the U.S. remains committed to NATO’s Article 5 and will stand with its allies. He also acknowledged efforts by NATO countries to increase defense spending, calling it “big news.”