NATO Summits Need Not Be Annual, Slovak President Says After Talks with Rutte

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said NATO summits do not need to be held every year, following what he described as a constructive alliance meeting that demonstrated unity among member states. Pellegrini also expressed confidence that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is capable of working effectively with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose relationship with the alliance has been a source of concern among European members. Pellegrini, who leads Slovakia as a largely ceremonial head of state while the government is run by Prime Minister Robert Fico's ruling Smer-SD party, has generally sought to maintain a balancing act between Euro-Atlantic commitments and a more cautious stance toward the war in Ukraine — a position broadly aligned with Fico's government. The remarks suggest Slovakia views the alliance's internal cohesion as intact despite ongoing tensions over defense spending expectations and U.S. engagement with European security.