President Donald Trump is set to take the main stage on the second day of the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands — offering a surprisingly cordial tone toward the alliance he has long criticized.
The president is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other world leaders before holding a press conference.
Trump also said he will « probably » greet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is attending the summit amid his ongoing push for Ukraine to join NATO.
In text messages shared by Trump, Rutte congratulated him for « making Europe pay in a big way » through a new 5% defense spending target — and for brokering an end to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran.
TRUMP HEADS TO NATO SUMMIT AS EUROPE AGREES TO HEED HIS DEFENSE SPENDING DEMANDS
« Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action on Iran. That was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do, » Rutte wrote as Trump flew toward the summit. « It makes us all safer. »
Israel and Iran entered into a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday that almost fell apart — though Israel called off its counterattack at Trump’s urging.
« You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening, » Rutte added, referencing the new agreement for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
NATO allies first agreed in 2006 to spend 2% of GDP on defense — a goal many failed to meet for years. Now, after Trump’s repeated calls for Europe to « pull its weight, » the alliance has approved a more ambitious 5% target, with an exception for Spain, which has long struggled to meet even the original benchmark.
The new figure breaks down into 3.5% for core defense spending, and 1.5% for related infrastructure, including cyberwarfare and intelligence. NATO ambassadors agreed on the compromise text Sunday.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE UPCOMING NATO SUMMIT: TRUMP, SPENDING, UKRAINE, IRAN
For most allies, the target marks a significant leap. Poland currently leads all member states with 4.1% of GDP going toward defense. The U.S. stands at 3.4%.
Trump said he doesn’t believe the U.S. needs to reach the full 5% threshold — a position backed by Rutte.
« The United States is already spending almost 3.5% on core defense, and no doubt they are close to spending the 1.5% on defense-related items, » Rutte said. « Countries like Estonia and Poland are very close. For many others, it will still be a long road ahead, but it’s really important that we do this. »
He also called on defense industries « on both sides of the Atlantic » to ramp up production.
« It is simply unthinkable that Russia, with an economy 25 times smaller than NATO’s, should be able to outproduce and outgun us, » Rutte said Tuesday. He urged Europe: « Make your defenses so strong that no one dares to attack you. »
Despite the progress, Trump cast fresh doubt on whether the U.S. would abide by NATO’s cornerstone mutual defense clause — Article 5 — which obligates members to defend one another in the event of an attack.
« It depends on your definition, » Trump said when asked if he would honor the commitment. « There’s numerous definitions of Article 5, you know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends. I’ve become friends with many of those leaders, and I’m committed to helping them. »
Still, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker sought to reassure allies, telling reporters, « The United States isn’t going anywhere. »
Rutte echoed that message, telling partners to « stop worrying so much » and focus on strengthening their own defenses.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-speak-nato-summit-amid-renewed-friendliness-alliances-leaders
Author :
Publish date : 2025-06-25 05:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
