The head of NATO has heaped praise on Donald Trump, saying the expected hike in the alliance’s defence spending target “wouldn’t have happened” without the US president.
Speaking alongside Mr Trump as he arrived at a NATO summit in The Hague, Mark Rutte thanked the US president for pushing allies to agree to increase their spending contributions.
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Leaders are expected to endorse a higher defence spending goal of 5% of GDP at the summit on Wednesday, fulfilling a long-standing demand by Mr Trump.
“Today we will decide to go to 5%,” Mr Rutte said.
“We have to keep ourselves safe from our adversaries, but also because it’s fair to equalise with the United States.”
Addressing the US president directly, the NATO secretary general added: “This would not have happened if you would not have been elected in 2016 and re-elected last year… so I want to thank you.”
Mr Trump described the move as a “great victory for everybody”, saying “NATO is going to become very strong with us”.
“We’re with them all the way”, he added.
‘Numerous definitions’ of Article 5
The comments came after the US president cast doubt on his commitment to the alliance’s mutual defence guarantees.
The US president avoided directly endorsing Article 5, telling reporters en route to the summit that there were “numerous definitions” of the clause.
NATO’s Article 5 requires members to defend each other from attack.
Mr Trump said on Air Force One: “I’m committed to saving lives. I’m committed to life and safety. And I’m going to give you an exact definition when I get there.”
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Asked about the comments as he arrived at day two of the NATO summit, which he hailed as being “transformational”, Mr Rutte said Mr Trump was “totally committed” to Article 5.
“For me, there is absolute clarity that the United States is totally committed to NATO, totally committed to Article 5,” Mr Rutte said.
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Tensions between Israel and Iran are also set to dominate discussions on Wednesday amid a fragile ceasefire.
Several news outlets have published stories that intelligence reports in the US suggest that the American attack on Iran’s nuclear programme over the weekend has only set it back by a few months, rather than “obliterated” it as Mr Trump has suggested.
Mr Trump said the strikes were an “obliteration” but acknowledged the intelligence was “very inconclusive”.
“The intelligence says we don’t know,” he added. “It could’ve been very severe. That’s what the intelligence suggests.
“It was very severe. There was obliteration.”
Trump shares flattering Rutte message
Ahead of Mr Trump’s appearance at the summit, the US president shared a message from Mr Rutte, in which the NATO chief congratulated him for his “decisive action in Iran”, as well as his push to increase defence spending.
“You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” Mr Rutte told Mr Trump.
“Europe is going to pay in a BIG way as they should, and it will be your win.”
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All NATO members have backed a statement enshrining the 5% target – to be achieved over the next 10 years. However, Spain has said it will not will meet the target.
Mr Rutte acknowledged it was not easy for countries to fund the hike in defence spending, but said it was vital to do so in light of European fears that Russia poses an increasing threat to their security following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“There is absolute conviction with my colleagues at the table that given this threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative,” he told reporters.
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UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is among those attending the summit.
On Wednesday, he insisted that NATO is “as relevant and important today as it has ever been”.
“We live in a very volatile world, and today is about the unity of NATO, showing that strength,” he added.
