The NATO summit in The Hague, taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, will convene dozens of heads of state for one of the alliance’s most significant meetings in years.
The leaders will discuss topics ranging from new NATO policy to various crises such as the Iran-Israel conflict and wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as a higher defence spending goal demanded by US President Donald Trump.
As with any high-profile event, stringent security measures will be in place. The Dutch city has rolled out a major military and police operation called Orange Shield.
Euronews has analysed how the summit plans to keep its attendees safe.
Police and military presence
About 27,000 police officers and around 10,000 military personnel — including 5,000 royal gendarmerie soldiers — have been deployed to the Dutch political capital for the duration of the summit to help with security and policing.
Some five kilometres of fencing has been erected around the grounds of the summit venue, The World Forum. Flights are completely prohibited within a radius of 16 kilometres from The Hague, and shipping will be restricted.
What’s more, anti-aircraft artillery has also been installed across the Netherlands. In The Hague itself, it can be found on parking lots, as well as in the dunes around the beach.
Police and military drones will buzz around the skies over the summit venue and other locations where leaders gather.
Regular police and riot officers also will be on hand for several protests that have already been announced, including an effort by demonstrators to shut down a major highway into the city.
The World Forum has been upgraded over the past months. Three new temporary buildings were constructed, and the interiors had to meet strict criteria. For example, the walls needed to be thick enough to prevent eavesdropping.
For security reasons, no Wi-Fi network will be used at the World Forum. Instead, 30 kilometres of cables have been laid for communications at the summit.
There are also the less visible but no less important measures being taken to provide cybersecurity. Pro-Russian hackers launched a series of denial-of-service attacks on Monday on several municipalities and organizations linked to the summit, the Dutch government announced on Tuesday
Guests of honour
Around 9,000 people will attend summit, including 45 heads of state and government. They are the 32 leaders of NATO’s members states and a few leaders of partner countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for example, has been invited to a dinner with leaders on Tuesday evening, but will not attend a formal session of the summit on Wednesday.
Several high-end hotels are closed off to the public for the duration of the summit, as they have been booked out to host high-profile leaders. Zelenskyy is expected to stay at the Marriott, just outside the summit venue, where he has stayed before in the past.
Trump, however, will likely stay about 30 kilometres away from the venue, reportedly in Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin in Noordwijk. During the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014, then-US President Barack Obama also stayed there.
Disruptions for residents
In The Hague’s city centre, life continues as normal. People may see some last minute road closures to facilitate transport for leaders and diplomats.
But for those living in the immediate surroundings of the World Forum, there are major disruptions to everyday life. Several police checkpoints and no-go zones have been established to help minimise any potential security risks.
Residents that live in close proximity to the World Forum have to pass through checkpoints any time they want to enter and exit their homes. At some of the checkpoints, they can pick up their newspapers, complete with coffee and croissants.
Parking spots have been blocked off by newly installed security fencing, workers in nearby offices have been told to stay home and public transit lines near the grounds have been diverted.
Between Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and The Hague, around 60 kilometres of roads and highways have been partly or completely closed to traffic.
A hefty price tag
This is the biggest security operation that the Netherlands has ever conducted. The last time the country hosted a summit of a similar scale was the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014, which cost €24 million.
This summit is expected to cost significantly more, over six times to be exact, with estimates suggesting the costs are somewhere north of €180 million.
The alliance is expected to discuss and potentially endorse a massive raise in defence spending for member states, raising targets from 2% to 5% of GDP, amid growing geopolitical tensions and expanding conflicts.
This comes after Trump’s threats to pull the US from NATO if members don’t “step up” and contribute “fairly” to the alliance.
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