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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
Trump departs for the NATO Summit where world leaders will come to an agreement to boost their defense spending to 5% of GDP. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“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
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte congratulated Trump on the Iran ceasefire and convincing Europe to increase its defense spending ( Nicolas Tucat/Reuters)
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.”
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. (Christian Hartmann/Reuters)
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.”
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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.