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Ukraine’s Air Defense and Sanctions Pressure Top Agenda at NATO and E5 Leaders Meeting
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
On June 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the leaders of the E5 group—Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland—along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague. The talks focused on bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses, sustaining long-term international support, and increasing economic pressure on Russia.
Following the meeting, President Zelenskyy issued a statement highlighting Ukraine’s key security priorities and the urgency of strengthening its defenses amid ongoing Russian attacks.
“Reinforcing Ukraine’s air shield is crucial,” Zelenskyy said. “Today we focused primarily on air defense systems and interceptors against Iranian-made Shahed drones. We also discussed the need to step up pressure on Russia. The Russian Federation is intensifying its offensive operations and shows no intention of ending the war. That’s why it’s necessary to target its energy and banking sectors, go after its shadow fleet, and introduce secondary sanctions.”
Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of continued international aid, particularly in protecting Ukrainian cities and supporting the country’s armed forces.
“Support for our people and our defenders—truly heroic individuals—remains vital. Air defense systems, jet training missions, and new assistance packages—we are grateful,” he said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated the Alliance’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, underscoring that support is not limited by time.
“The message that comes out of this summit is clear—NATO’s commitment to Ukraine endures,” Rutte said. “It’s now written into the summit declaration, backed by financial guarantees. That’s important for the next five to ten years—not because we expect the fight to last that long, but because we’re prepared to support Ukraine for as long as needed.”
Responding during a press pool appearance, Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for NATO’s continued engagement.
“Our participation here shows strong support from you and our partners. Thank you, Mark, for everything you’ve done on air defense—and thank you to all our allies.”
Later in the day, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted a concluding session with Rutte, Zelenskyy, and the E5 leaders. According to officials, the meeting focused on scaling up military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, while reiterating the shared goal of a just and lasting peace.
The leaders reaffirmed their backing of Ukraine’s right to self-defense and its defense industry, especially in light of ongoing Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure. They also stressed that any path to negotiations would require credible signs from Moscow—something they agreed has yet to be seen.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. Zelenskyy described the conversation as substantive, while Trump said he plans to speak with Vladimir Putin and suggested that “this is a great time to end the war.”
