On Wednesday, President Donald Trump is set to meet with key members of the NATO alliance in The Hague, Netherlands. This meeting comes amidst growing concerns over Trump's recent remarks that have cast doubt on the U.S. commitment to mutual defense guarantees. His comments during the flight to the Netherlands regarding Article 5—that his allegiance "depends on your definition"—are likely to be a focal point at the NATO summit.
Another significant topic of discussion will be the new and fragile Iran-Israel ceasefire that Trump played a role in brokering, following recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Concurrently, NATO is poised to implement one of Trump's primary objectives: a commitment from member countries to significantly increase their defense spending. Trump stated, “NATO was broke, and I said, ‘You’re going to have to pay.’” He emphasized the need for alliance members to raise their defense budgets, suggesting a target of 4% to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP), which he described as “good” for enhancing national power.
This push for increased spending comes after years of Trump’s criticisms that NATO allies were not contributing their fair share to the alliance, which was originally established as a defense against threats from the Soviet Union. Most NATO countries, with Spain being a notable exception, are preparing to endorse the 5% spending pledge, motivated not only by the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine but also potentially to appease Trump.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump suggested that, as president, he might not fully adhere to NATO’s mutual defense guarantees outlined in Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Earlier this year, he expressed doubts about NATO's readiness to defend the United States if necessary, despite the alliance providing support after the September 11, 2001, attacks. On Tuesday, while aboard Air Force One, Trump reiterated his ambiguous stance, stating that his commitment to Article 5 “depends on your definition.” He indicated that he would clarify his interpretation of Article 5 during the summit.
Trump also expressed frustration to reporters before leaving Washington regarding the actions of Israel and Iran in light of the recently announced ceasefire, asserting that both nations had breached the agreement. Upon arriving in The Hague, media outlets, including The Associated Press, reported on a U.S. intelligence assessment indicating that Iran’s nuclear program had only been delayed by a few months due to the recent strikes, countering Trump’s assertion that it had been “completely and fully obliterated.” The White House dismissed this report as “flat-out wrong,” and Trump took to social media, asserting that any claims that the strikes did not result in complete destruction were attempts to undermine “one of the most successful military strikes in history.”
While the White House has not disclosed specific details about other world leaders Trump may meet with during his time in The Hague, he mentioned the likelihood of encountering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
