As the NATO Summit enters its most pivotal phase, Next News Network’s Chief White House Correspondent Gary Franchi reports from inside the security perimeter at the International Media Center in The Hague — embedded within the global press corps, just steps from where world leaders are escalating their rhetoric by the hour.
On what began as a rainy, overcast afternoon, the atmosphere quickly shifted from diplomacy to militarized resolve. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stood at the center of it all, issuing one of the most aggressive appeals yet from a wartime leader on NATO soil. With President Trump still en route aboard Air Force One, Zelensky warned that Russia isn’t just targeting Ukraine — it’s preparing to strike NATO members next. He demanded Europe commit 5% of GDP to defense, arguing that only overwhelming force can break Putin’s ambition.
But Zelensky didn’t stop at military budgets. He openly accused NATO nations and their private sectors of continuing to fuel Russia’s war machine. According to the Ukrainian president, Western components — from the U.S., Europe, even Taiwan — are still appearing in Russian drones and missiles. “Every single component,” he said, “is a crime against peace.”
The rhetoric escalated further when NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared Ukraine’s path into NATO not only open — but “irreversible.” With Zelensky at his side, Rutte announced more than €35 billion in new European and Canadian aid already committed in 2025, with expectations that the total will surpass last year’s €50 billion.
The financial stakes soared even higher when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a stunning €150 billion defense initiative — the “SAFE” fund — designed to rebuild and permanently expand Ukraine’s domestic arms industry. This isn’t just about support anymore. It’s about turning Ukraine into a NATO-ready weapons state.
Also weighing in: European Council President António Costa, who called Russia’s invasion the world’s greatest threat to global peace, citing its growing alliances with North Korea and Iran as a direct challenge to Western-led order.
All of this unfolded within the span of a few hours — and all of it happened while President Trump was airborne.
Trump, known for his “peace through strength” philosophy, now arrives into an environment where the prevailing message is strength through escalation. The contrast could not be clearer. While Trump has repeatedly called for negotiations to end the bloodshed between Russia and Ukraine, the message echoing inside the summit halls is one of further resistance, expansion, and long-term entrenchment.
As the international media buzzes and security tightens around the summit’s core, one thing is clear: this moment isn’t just about statements — it’s about direction. With over €150 billion pledged, a pathway to NATO laid for Ukraine, and rhetoric at a boiling point, the alliance appears to be barreling forward — even as Trump prepares to re-enter the scene.
This is the final dispatch of the day from the Next News Network team on-site, before returning to the hotel secured by the White House for its official delegation. But more is coming — and fast.
The stage is set. The alliances are forming. And President Trump is minutes from touchdown.
From inside the walls of NATO, the Next News Network will continue to deliver the truth — unfiltered, unafraid, and unapologetically America First.
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📍 Reporting from: NATO International Media Center, The Hague
🎙️ On assignment: Gary S. Franchi Jr., Chief White House Correspondent
🛰️ Produced by: Next News Network
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