Zelenskyy says Nato spending ramp up is ‘slow,’ warns of possible Russian attack on Nato within five years
Zelenskyy also warned that even the proposed, radically increased, Nato spending target of 5% of GDP might be too low.
He told Sky News:
“In my view, this is slow because we believe that starting from 2030 Putin can have significantly greater capabilities.
Today, Ukraine is holding him up. He has no time to drill the army, and they are all getting annihilated and wiped out at the battlefield.”
Zelenskyy also said he believed Russia’s Putin could try to attack a Nato member within the next five years.
The full interview will be broadcast later this morning, and I will monitor it for more news lines.
Key events
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Zelenskyy urges Nato to sanction companies providing components for Russian missiles
Speaking with Sky News before the Nato summit begins, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to step up their sanctions to cover more producers of components used for missile strikes on Ukraine.
Components for their missiles – and missiles are the most painful strikes – are coming in from other countries, including the UK, not too much, but including the UK.
He said “it’s … mostly China, Taiwan, but also Europe, also Germany, also eastern Europe.”
“There are lists of these companies and lists of these components, we are monitoring this.
It is vitally important for us, and we are handing this list over to our partners and asking them to apply sanctions. Otherwise the Russians will have [more] missiles.”
Morning opening: Nato summit day 1
Jakub Krupa
After a very long buildup, it’s time for the main event to finally begin. The 2025 Nato summit in The Hague starts today.
It’s very much a slow start with many leaders, including US president Donald Trump, only expected to arrive in late afternoon to take part in an official dinner starting at 7pm local time.
But even before then, we should get some early indications as to key positions and issues to be discussed at the summit as a number of side events get under way this morning.
We will hear from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and a long list of national ministers and senior officials taking part in the Nato Public Forum and the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum.
And even before leaving for The Hague, German chancellor Friedrich Merz will address the Bundestag, presenting his government’s plans to ramp up defence spending as part of the new Nato 5% GDP target.
It should be a lively day. Stay with us for all the latest updates.
It’s Tuesday, 24 June 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
