WASHINGTON, July 6 — The shadow of former President Donald Trump hangs over the NATO summit this week, even before a single leader takes the podium. On the ground here, diplomats describe a summit shaped as much by Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party as by the war in Ukraine. A report from The Telegraph that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was barred from speaking at the 2024 NATO summit to avoid offending Trump highlights the former president’s enduring sway over U.S. foreign policy debates.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has long criticized NATO allies for failing to meet the alliance’s defense spending target of 2% of GDP. During his presidency, he reportedly considered withdrawing from the alliance.
That skepticism is now having real-world consequences. A $60 billion package of U.S. aid to Ukraine has been stalled in Congress since October 2023, delayed in part by Trump’s influence on Republican lawmakers. Trump has expressed skepticism about continued U.S. support for Ukraine, claiming he could end the war with Russia quickly through negotiations.
By nightfall, the scene here is one of careful diplomacy. NATO officials are walking a tightrope, trying to maintain alliance unity while not alienating the man who could be back in the White House next year.
Trump served as the 45th President of the United States from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021. Born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, he rose to fame as a businessman and reality TV star before entering politics. He was impeached twice by the House of Representatives, in 2019 and 2021, and acquitted by the Senate both times.
The summit’s agenda is packed with discussions on burden-sharing and long-term support for Ukraine. But the unspoken question, the one that lingers in every corridor and closed-door meeting, is what happens if Trump returns to power. For now, the alliance presses forward.
But the former president’s influence on the Republican Party has already delayed crucial aid to Kyiv, and his reported ability to shape even the summit’s speaking schedule suggests his grip on U.S. foreign policy is far from over. What comes next may depend on whether that grip tightens or loosens by November.
