Zelensky's rising clout at NATO: W120tr in pledges, drone cooperation secured

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demonstrated his growing international stature at this year's NATO summit, securing large-scale military commitments and cooperation pledges from allied leaders.

Ukraine's sustained drone strikes on Russian energy facilities — carried out with domestically developed long-range drones — have shifted battlefield dynamics, and rising expectations for an end to the war have prompted allies to deepen their support.

According to Zelensky's social media posts Thursday (local time), he held around 20 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the NATO summit, which took place Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey.

His counterparts included US President Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He also held his first summit meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

Allied leaders used the bilateral meetings to underscore the need for an end to the war and to reaffirm their support for Ukraine. Trump notably said he would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles domestically — a significant concession for a country struggling with air defense shortfalls.

The move was widely interpreted as a shift toward a more Ukraine-friendly stance by Trump, who had frequently clashed with Zelensky while emphasizing his personal ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's battlefield drones, which have evolved considerably throughout the war, also drew wide attention.

Trump said Zelensky "has done an incredible job on the battlefield" and announced that the United States would purchase Ukrainian drones. That marked a reversal from his position in March, when he expressed confidence in American technology and said Ukraine's drone expertise was unnecessary. Estonia signed a drone cooperation agreement with Ukraine during the summit.

It was also notable that Zelensky, as the leader of a non-member state, delivered the keynote address at NATO's defense industry forum. In his remarks, he urged Europe to develop "its own ballistic missile defense system and the production capacity to support it."

NATO leaders adopted a summit declaration Wednesday formally committing to support Ukraine. They pledged to provide 70 billion euros ($79.9 billion) in military equipment, assistance and training this year, and to maintain at least the same level of support next year.

The contrast with last year's NATO summit — where the Russia-Ukraine war was pushed to the margins — was stark.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war had been by far the top priority at every annual NATO summit. Last year, however, concerns emerged that Ukraine was losing the spotlight, as war fatigue set in and issues such as nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran competed for attention.

Those concerns were reflected in NATO Secretary General Rutte's appeal to Zelensky at last year's summit, when he urged the Ukrainian leader to recognize that allied support remained firm.

The shifting battlefield situation is seen as one of the key factors behind Ukraine's rising international standing. Ukraine's aggressive use of domestically developed drones to pressure Russia has fueled allied hopes for an end to the war and translated into broader international backing.

Even during the summit, Ukraine kept up its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, targeting facilities in the Nizhnekamsk region and repeatedly hitting supply routes including those in the Sea of Azov.

Russian regional authorities said Thursday that oil-related facilities in the Tver and Stavropol regions were struck by Ukrainian drones, sparking fires. Two oil tankers carrying fuel through the Sea of Azov in violation of international sanctions were also targeted.

The relentless Ukrainian strikes have taken a toll: Russia recently acknowledged fuel shortages and has begun importing gasoline from India and Kazakhstan. On Wednesday, it also banned diesel fuel exports. Russia is the world's second-largest crude oil exporter.