President Trump flew to the Netherlands for a NATO summit on Tuesday—but NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte didn't wait for his arrival to start praising him. In a private message the president shared in a Truth Social post, Rutte congratulated Trump for his "decisive action in Iran," saying it was "truly extraordinary" and "something no one else dared to do." "You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening," Rutte wrote, referring to Trump's demand that NATO allies spend at least 5% of GDP on defense. "It was not easy but we've got them all signed onto 5 per cent!"
"You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done," Rutte wrote. "Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win." NATO confirmed that the message was genuine. Most NATO allies, including the UK, France, and Germany, have committed to the 5% target, but Spain is holding out, which Trump said Tuesday is "very unfair," the Financial Times reports. In remarks to reporters on Air Force One, Trump cast doubt on America's commitment to NATO's Article 5, which states that an armed attack on one member should be considered an attack on all, Politico reports.
"Depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5," he said. "You know that, right? But I'm committed to being their friends." Rutte said Tuesday that allies shouldn't worry about US commitment as long as they raise defense spending. "Stop running around being worried about the US," he said, per the FT. "They are with us." The Washington Post sees the "fawning" tone of Rutte's message to the president as "an attempt to butter up Trump ahead of a key meeting." (More NATO stories.)
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