NATO Summit: Trump’s Impression, Macron’s Handshake, and Zelenskyy’s Politics

Leaders convened late Tuesday evening (June 24, 2025) in The Hague for a dinner hosted by the Dutch royal couple, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The main agenda of the NATO summit is set for Wednesday (June 25, 2025), focusing on increasing defense spending to 5% among member states. This agreement sought since Donald Trump’s election is expected to be finalized, though Spain and Slovakia are pushing for exemptions, questioning the necessity of such expenses, as reported by Politico. With the Dutch royals hosting, this gathering has an exceptional flair. In the ‘family’ photo, Queen Maxima dazzled in an open green full-length outfit. French President Emmanuel Macron notably drew attention earlier with a handshake to the Queen. U.S. President Donald Trump stood next to the King, undoubtedly central to all discussions. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was positioned slightly higher on the right side of the photo. At the center above the Queen, as host, stands Dutch NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Turkish President Erdogan stood left of Trump. Other notable leaders include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the center-top, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni near Rutte. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s brightly colored suit added a stylistic ‘misspelling.’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, present despite Ukraine not being a NATO member, wore a suit instead of his usual military attire. The official dinner organized by the Dutch royal couple took place under tight security measures at the impressive Huis Ten Bosch Palace, where Trump and other leaders stayed. The menu featured smoked tuna with pickled Amsterdam mousse, chanterelle mushroom sauce filet mignon, chocolate tart dessert, and fine wines.