'Hugely successful': Trump triumphs at NATO summit, winning over allies after years of resistance



President Donald Trump's participation in this week's NATO summit was well-received and represented a significant victory for him, contrasting with similar meetings during his previous administration.

'This has been a hugely successful summit for President Trump.'

In 2018, when Trump was pushing NATO allies to meet their then-target of 2% of GDP for defense spending, he got into a spat with German officials after he scolded the country for cutting an oil and gas deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He accused Germany of being "totally controlled by Russia," calling it a "very bad thing for NATO."

The following year, several allies — then-Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, and President of France Emmanuel Macron — were caught on camera mocking Trump.

In contrast, this year's NATO summit in the Netherlands was notably successful for Trump.

RELATED: Trump to take on NATO summit: Will allies step up or stall?

G7 summit on June 9, 2018, in Charlevoix, Canada. Photo by Jesco Denzel /Bundesregierung via Getty Images

Dr. Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and Barbara Lomas fellow, told Blaze News, "This has been a hugely successful summit for President Trump and a demonstration of real U.S. leadership on the world stage — a dramatic difference to the weak-kneed Biden presidency."

At one point, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte even praised Trump for striking Iran's nuclear enrichment sites.

"I just want to recognize your decisive action in Iran. You are a man of strength, but you are also a man of peace. The fact that you are now also successful in getting this ceasefire done between Israel and Iran, I really want to commend you for it. And I think this is important for the whole world," Rutte told Trump on Wednesday.

Rutte also credited Trump for securing substantial defense-spending increases to 5% of GDP.

"Without President Trump, this would not have happened," he remarked.

RELATED: Canada's solution to reliance on US? Increasing commitments in Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

During a Wednesday afternoon press conference in the Netherlands, Trump reported that his NATO allies were "so respectful" toward him. He celebrated the increased defense-spending commitments from the ally countries.

"I left here saying that these people really love their countries. It's not a rip-off, and we're here to help them protect their countries," Trump said.

The only conflict Trump expressed was with Spain, the only country that refused to commit to the defense-spending targets. He vowed to negotiate "directly with Spain" on a trade deal, adding that it would have to "pay twice as much" to make up the "unfair" difference in defense spending.

Trump also confirmed that he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who he stated "couldn't have been nicer" to him.

Trump mentioned that he and Zelenskyy had previously experienced some "rough times," likely referring to the tense exchange he and Vice President JD Vance had with the Ukrainian president earlier this year at the White House.

Trump remarked that he had a "good meeting with Zelenskyy" at this week's NATO summit, adding that Zelenskyy and Putin would like to see an end to the ongoing war.

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'Playing with fire': Trump trades barbs with Kremlin after Russia fires missiles through negotiation prospects



President Donald Trump indicated last week that Russia and Ukraine would "immediately" begin negotiation talks. Trump appeared optimistic, noting that his two-hour call on May 19 with Vladimir Putin went "very well," even though the Russian president would not immediately agree to an unconditional ceasefire with Ukraine.

While the road to peace still appeared rocky and uncertain, Trump indicated days later that there were signs of promise as Russia and Ukraine had started their largest prisoner-of-war swap. Trump wrote, "This could lead to something big?"

Trump's optimism turned out to be premature.

Russia has pelted Ukrainian cities in recent days with drones and missiles, while Russian forces continue to advance in the east of the beleaguered country.

"The U.S. condemns Russia's attacks and all resulting civilian casualties in Ukraine. As the President has said many times, the killing must end. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," a State Department spokesman told Blaze News. "We call for restraint and urge all parties to avoid further escalation that risks civilian harm."

Devolution

On the evening of May 24, Russia fired 14 ballistic missiles into Ukraine, six of which were apparently shot down, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Russia also dispatched 355 drones, 128 of which were also reportedly shot down.

'This cannot be ignored.'

At least 12 people were killed in what has been recognized as Moscow's largest aerial attack in the war so far.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X, "Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day. The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourage Putin."

— (@)

Russia, which accused Kyiv of attempting to assassinate Putin earlier this month with two drones, has characterized the drone and missile offensive as retaliatory.

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian minister of foreign affairs, claimed prior to Russia's May 24 attacks that the "Ukrainian side launched a record number of combat drones" and suggested the alleged attacks were "a clear attempt to derail peace talks and disrupt the process that began in Istanbul."

'I don't like it, and it better stop.'

Ukrainian officials recently boasted that their large-scale drone attacks on Russian targets have in recent days damaged Russian military facilities, reported the Wall Street Journal.

RELATED: Dictator, thief, puppet: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 3 strikes revealed

Photo by Office of the President of Ukraine via Getty Images

In a message on May 23, the Russian foreign ministry noted that "Russia will deliver a matching response to barrages of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime."

On the evening of May 25, Russia "carried out a combined strike on Ukraine" involving nine ballistic missiles, 55 winged missiles, one Soviet Kh-22 missile, four controlled aviation missiles, and hundreds of suicide drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Trump responds, attacks continue

Trump noted on the night of the second consecutive aerial bombardment, "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!"

"He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers," continued Trump. "Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!"

Trump assigned some blame to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting that "everything out of his mouth causes problems."

"I don't like it, and it better stop," added Trump.

Trump's threat of "downfall" evidently fell on deaf ears, as Moscow launched yet another missile and drone attack on Monday, this time deploying nine winged missiles and 355 drones, most of them Shahed suicide drones.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly referred to the Monday attack as a "retaliatory strike."

When asked about Trump's remarks regarding Putin, Peskov said, "We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process," according to Reuters.

'There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons.'

"Of course, at the same time, this is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions," added Peskov.

Trump did not respond well to Monday's attacks, stating, "What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire!"

Escalation

While Trump is now contemplating hitting Moscow with new sanctions, Russia could soon be hit with something far more devastating.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled on Monday that Germany, the U.K., the U.S., and other nations have removed all remaining range restrictions on weapons provided to Ukraine.

"We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine," wrote Merz. "This also means no longer having any range restrictions on the weapons we supply. Ukraine can now also defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia."

Merz clarified who was onboard with this move, telling a crowd, "There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us, and not by the Americans either," reported the Associated Press.

Former President Joe Biden secretly signed off on the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile System to Ukraine in February 2024. The American-made supersonic missiles have a range of up to 190 miles. Ukraine also has British-made Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 155 miles.

Around the time of the American presidential election, Biden eased some of the restrictions on American long-range missile use against Russia. It's unclear what additional limits on use still remained.

RELATED: Trump reveals Ukraine ceasefire challenges and who he blames most

MAXIM SHIPENKOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images / Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The use of long-range weapons against targets deep within Russia is a move long urged by Ukrainian officials, resisted by U.S. officials concerned about escalation, and identified by Putin as a trigger for a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.

Peskov said of Merz's statement that the elimination of range restrictions would be "quite dangerous" and "run contrary to our efforts to reach a political settlement."

'All options remain on the table.'

Although Peskov suggested that such a counterpunch could jeopardize negotiations, Russia is doing its part to delay meaningful peace in the region. After all, Russian forces are presently on the move and advancing through eastern Ukraine. They reportedly captured two settlements in the Donetsk region and a third settlement in the northern region of Sumy over the weekend.

The Institute for the Study of War noted in its Sunday assessment of the Russian campaign that

Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities, aggressive rhetorical campaigns, and excessive pessimism in the West about the battlefield situation in Ukraine in a multi-pronged effort to degrade Ukrainian morale and convince the West that a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable and that supporting Ukraine is futile.

"We continue to support direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. There is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A diplomatic solution is necessary to end the war and save lives," a State Department spokesperson told Blaze News.

Responding to question about whether the U.S. might now adopt a different approach to Russia, the spokesperson said, "All options remain on the table. President Trump has said clearly that he has a range of measures available to encourage Russia to participate constructively in negotiations."

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Dictator, thief, puppet: Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 3 strikes revealed



The mountain of lies about Ukraine is beginning to crumble under the weight of the truth. The media-crafted façade of Ukraine as a beacon of democracy — and Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the Winston Churchill of our time — is disintegrating. February’s disgraceful Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and the Ukrainian dictator revealed Zelenskyy’s true character.

After Trump made it clear that Ukraine would never join NATO, Zelenskyy responded with open defiance, vowing NATO membership would happen anyway. His message was clear: The war must go on — regardless of the cost to his people. From the beginning, NATO expansion into Ukraine has been the root provocation behind Russia’s so-called "special military operation."

The United States and NATO have waged a proxy war against Russia and for globalism.

This week, Zelenskyy removed any lingering doubt about his intent. He outright rejected President Trump’s peace proposal, effectively sabotaging any meaningful negotiation.

An illegitimate president

Retired Col. Douglas Macgregor recognized Zelenskyy’s role as a puppet early in the war — stunning mainstream media. He sees Zelenskyy as the “globalist enemy within” — undermining any chance for peace. To achieve the most direct path to peace, Macgregor has urged Trump to immediately stop all military and financial aid to Ukraine, dump Zelenskyy, and pull out all American personnel — in or out of uniform.

Zelenskyy’s term expired last May, but he canceled presidential elections to remain in power. Donald Trump has called out Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” — and that’s not even the half of it.

Zelenskyy has shut down all nongovernment-controlled media, banned opposition parties, jailed dissidents, and reportedly had critics kidnapped, tortured, or killed. He’s ordered thugs to snatch thousands of men off the streets and shove them into the trenches. He’s outlawed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, jailing its priests. Meanwhile, his government and military remain riddled with neo-Nazis — a fact the media refuses to address.

Zelenskyy also uses Ukrainian lawfare to lock up members of his own party when they speak out against his corruption.

Dissent silenced

Oleksandr Dubinsky was elected to the Ukrainian Parliament as a member of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People Party. He is the only MP to speak out against the criminal regime. Dubinsky states, “I’m currently fighting a politically motivated case, filed by Zelensky's [sic] regime, to silence my criticism of his corruption, as well as the corruption of Soros-backed NGOs and the Bidens' connections to Burisma.” In November 2023, Dubinsky was arrested, charged with treason, and thrown into prison, where he remains awaiting trial. From his prison cell, Dubinsky has called for Zelenskyy’s impeachment and announced his intention to run for president — assuming elections are ever allowed again.

In a Kyiv courtroom in February, Dubinsky exposed the SBU, Zelenskyy’s secret police, for their brutal arrest, imprisonment, torture, and murder of American independent journalist Gonzalo Lira — whose only crime was criticizing both the Zelenskyy and Biden regimes.

In a remarkable prison interview, Norwegian scholar Glenn Diesen spoke with Dubinsky — who knows Zelenskyy well. In 2019, both men were allies when Zelenskyy ran as a peace candidate promising normalized relations with Russia. But Dubinsky broke ranks once Zelenskyy aligned with globalist interests, collaborated with the neo-Nazis, and embraced full-on corruption and criminality.

Dubinsky provides a deep insight into Zelenskyy’s motives and exactly who is pulling his strings. “Zelenskyy is the product of the efforts of globalist and liberal elites who saw the war in Ukraine as a tool to consolidate their own power,” Dubinsky said. “Ukraine has become the last stronghold of globalism and Zelenskyy is its figurehead.”

This war has never been about Ukraine. The United States and NATO have waged a proxy war against Russia and for globalism. The ultimate objective of the international globalists — and American neoconservatives — is to destroy and break up Russia. Dubinsky contends there is “no goal of securing Ukraine’s victory. The only objective is to prolong the war.” And their immediate goal? To “undermine President Trump’s peace initiatives.”

Thirty years ago, George Soros conjured up the sinister strategy of sacrificing European Slavs to fight a proxy war with Russia. “The combination of manpower from Eastern Europe with the technical capabilities of NATO,” he wrote, “reduce the risk of body bags for NATO countries.” In Ukraine, the globalists found Zelenskyy, who, for 30 pieces of silver, has obliged, filling NATO body bags with his countrymen.

Before entering politics, Zelenskyy’s day job was as a comedic television actor. Dubinsky, well-versed in Zelenskyy’s theatrics, noted that his Oval Office appearance in February — including his costume choice — was “a deliberate performance designed to sabotage negotiations.” Mission accomplished.

A neocon’s dream

The globalists and neocons set a trap. Trump walked into it — and now, he must walk back out.

I still believe Trump sincerely wants to disengage from Ukraine and bring peace. But if he allows American military and financial support of the Zelenskyy dictatorship to continue, any peace will be impossible. Since his inauguration, the president has talked about peace in Ukraine but has maintained the Biden status quo. That’s not going to cut it now.

Trump won because he was the peace candidate with a revolutionary anti-war, anti-globalist pledge: “There must ... be a complete commitment to dismantling the entire globalist neocon establishment that is perpetually dragging us into endless wars.” This was a bombshell. But as the initial shock of Trump’s victory has worn off and the commitment to dismantle the neocon establishment has not been acted upon, the “globalist neocon establishment” has regrouped and is back on the attack.

In Europe, Zelenskyy and his globalist masters in the European Union and NATO openly defy Trump, calling for a prolonged war and NATO membership for Ukraine. Here at home, neoconservatives at all levels of the military-industrial-congressional complex — and their mainstream media — openly undermine him.

In April, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee to report on the status of the war. In a profoundly dishonest presentation, Cavoli made a case for prolonging the war and avoiding a negotiated settlement.

Cavoli’s remarks were an inspiration to Zelenskyy and a slap in the face to Trump. The fact that he could defy and insult his commander in chief with total impunity reveals just how deeply entrenched the neocon power structure remains.

Dictator, thief, and globalist puppet

To save Ukraine — and his presidency — Trump must break free from the neocons and globalists once and for all and stop all aid to Ukraine.

People are beginning to understand who Zelenskyy really is. My previous essays made clear that he is a dictator and a thief. Now, we know that he is also a globalist puppet sabotaging peace in Ukraine. Three strikes, and you’re out.

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'Where's the Money?': Zelenskyy faces demand for U.S. aid audit



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing criticism from President Trump, who posted on Truth Social that Zelenskyy’s recent boasting that Ukraine “will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea” is “harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”

“Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama and is not even a point of discussion. Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” Trump continued in his post.

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about. The situation for Ukraine is dire — he can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he added.


Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” notes that President Trump has repeated this sentiment several times, and it “just doesn’t seem to be registering with Zelenskyy.”

However, Zelenskyy isn’t just facing criticism from President Trump.

The Ukrainian president also sat down with the Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, who asked him some hard-hitting questions — including where the money he’s received from the United States is going.

“I want to start by asking you about the meeting that you had in the Oval Office. How do you feel that you could have handled things better with the president and the vice president?” Shapiro asked the Ukrainian president.

“The meeting in the Oval Office — it did not help Ukraine,” he replied.

Shapiro then dug a little deeper, pointing out to Zelenskyy that the United States has spent nearly $200 billion on the defense of Ukraine. “Would an audit be possible by the United States of where those dollars are going?” Shapiro pressed.

“We are ready to have any inspections from the very beginning of the war. The inspectors coming from the United States, Europe, and our own inspectors — they’re working. We have complete reporting counting, absolutely transparent within the Ministry of Defense,” Zelenskyy responded.

“There is access to all the figures starting from the very first year of the war,” he continued, adding that “most of those money were in the form of weapons.”

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How Zelenskyy’s corruption robbed US taxpayers blind



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a thief. Ukraine’s little dictator has overseen the misuse of billions in American taxpayer dollars — amassing a vast personal fortune while running arguably the most corrupt nation in Europe. Ukraine has become little more than an organized crime state.

Donald Trump and his America First team have long been aware of the depth of Zelenskyy’s venality, but his insulting, disrespectful, and churlish spectacle in the Oval Office revealed the truth of his intentions and behavior. Now, Trump “will lean into a Ukraine fraud probe,” shining the light on Zelenskyy’s serious crimes.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an anti-American globalist puppet and thief who belongs in prison.

The DOGE is on the case, and Elon Musk has Zelenskyy’s number. Musk describes the dictator’s regime as a “massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.”

The magnitude of the thievery is staggering. But the malfeasance by the warmongers in Congress and the mainstream media’s continual cover-ups have hidden the full extent of Ukraine’s corruption.

When the initial $60 billion for the globalist proxy war against Russia in Ukraine was being allocated, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) stood up for American taxpayers, proposing an inspector general and audit to track how military aid was being spent. But the warmongers shot them down. There would be no oversight, no accountability, and little reporting of the epic plunder that followed. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Cannon fodder and Reznikov eggs

Last month, Zelenskyy, while claiming that Ukraine had received just $75 billion of the $177 billion in U.S. aid, stated nonchalantly, "I don't know where all this money is." Here are a few places to look.

Early in the war, a now-censored CBS report revealed that due to theft and diversion to the black market, ”only 30%” of American equipment was reaching the front lines. Some of the weapons ended up in the hands of criminal gangs in Sweden and terrorists in Nigeria. Last year, the Pentagon admitted that it had failed to track $1 billion in weapons deliveries, mainly small arms — including Javelin and Stinger missiles — ideal for arms traffickers.

Ukrainian soldiers are cannon fodder. The Zelenskyy regime’s contempt for its troops is made apparent by how it spends — and steals — money.

In January 2024, executives from a Ukrainian arms company and officials from Zelenskyy’s defense ministry embezzled $40 million meant to buy 100,000 mortar shells. A retired Ukrainian general revealed that $207 million was grifted in purchasing hundreds of thousands of useless anti-tank mines produced during World War II — decades past their expiration date.

In January, American money bought hand grenades filled with cornmeal instead of explosives. In November, U.S. taxpayers paid for 100,000 Ukrainian-produced mortar shells that wouldn’t fire because they got stuck in the mortar barrels. In October, Kyiv’s defense minister acknowledged that 20% of all artillery ammunition fired by the Ukrainians failed to detonate.

Have you ever wondered why Ukrainian soldiers are freezing on the front lines? Zelenskyy’s cronies paid $86 million to the Ukrainian owner of a sham company in Turkey for 200,000 winter uniforms. The problem? They were actually summer uniforms, “unfit for their intended purpose as winter clothing” — and valued at only $29 million.

Ukraine’s corruption even touches the food distributed on the front lines. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov supplied the military with eggs purchased at three times the market price. "Reznikov eggs" has become the Ukrainian soldiers’ euphemism for corruption within their military.

Ukrainians are fed up

The vast majority of Ukrainians — 89% according to one survey — say that corruption is the country’s most serious problem after the war with Russia, and 94% believe corruption is pervasive across Ukraine. As many as 42% of Ukrainian households pay bribes to access public services, and 78% believe Zelenskyy is “directly responsible” for the corruption.

Recruitment officials pocket millions of dollars in bribes, allowing those with money to dodge military conscription. Meanwhile, men who can’t afford to pay are snatched off the street, thrown into frontline trenches, and shoved into the meat grinder. To evade service, 860,000 men have fled to the European Union, and 800,000 more are hiding in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy officials have stolen entire trainloads of civilian aid. According to a senior Zelenskyy adviser, people at the top are “stealing like there is no tomorrow.” To add insult to injury, American taxpayers pay the salaries and pensions of these crooks.

Leading by example

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reports that Zelenskyy and his closest allies embezzled at least $400 million in a single year by skimming U.S. funds earmarked for procuring diesel fuel. An intelligence officer told Hersh, “Zelenskyy had been buying the [discount diesel] fuel from Russia … skimming untold millions from the American dollars earmarked for diesel fuel payments.”

The CIA grew concerned about the rampant corruption, so in January 2023, CIA Director William Burns met with Zelenskyy and his band of thieves in Kyiv to address the problem. Hersh described the meeting as a scene from “a 1950s mob movie.” He relates, “The senior generals and government officials in Kyiv were angry at what they saw as Zelenskyy’s greed … because he was taking a larger share of the skim money than was going to the generals.” Moreover, Hersh says the level of corruption in Ukraine is “approaching that of the Afghan war.”

Dead man walking

Even in the Ukrainian parliament — where Zelenskyy has banned 11 opposition parties — voices of dissent are finally being heard. Zelenskyy is finished.

Verkhovna Rada Deputy Alexander Dubinsky has called for Zelenskyy’s impeachment, blasting him for his authoritarian suppression of democracy, disastrous war policies, and public buffoonery.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an anti-American globalist puppet and thief who belongs in prison. Trump should cut him loose, expose the fraud, and bring peace and democracy to Ukraine.