NATO allies, including the USA, have reaffirmed their ‘ironclad commitment’ to collective defence at a brief summit in The Hague. The final five‑paragraph communiqué emphasised unity, describing Russia as a ‘long‑term threat’ but stopping short of explicitly condemning its invasion of Ukraine, marking a shift from prior statements. In the only reference to the war, it said: ‘Allies reaffirm their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours.’ It also reaffirmed NATO’s founding tenet, that an attack on one is an attack on all, despite Trump hinting at differing definitions. A notable commitment was a pledge to raise defence investment to 5% of GDP by 2035. The toned‑down language and ambitious new spending target reflect tensions within the alliance. Meanwhile, on 24 June seventeen people were killed and over a hundred injured in a daytime Russian airstrike: see