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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…
