President Trump Rejects NATO Article 5 Commitment, Signals Stronger Alliance Burden-Sharing
Hague Summit Advances 5% GDP Defense Spending Plan
President Trump declined to endorse NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause at the Hague summit, stating, “Depends on your definition.” He emphasized, “I’m committed to being their friend,” prioritizing practical alliances over rigid pledges. Article 5, invoked once after 9/11, requires allies to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte downplayed the stance, affirming U.S. dedication to the alliance. Allies proposed a robust 5% GDP defense spending target, allocating 3.5% to core military needs and 1.5% to cybersecurity and infrastructure. Rutte credited Trump’s leadership, writing, “Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win,” in a message Trump shared online.
Spain, spending 1.3% of GDP on defense in 2024, targets 2% by 2025. Trump criticized Spain’s lower contribution as “very unfair” on social media. The summit, tailored for efficiency, excluded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from key sessions. Trump’s engagement with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and recalibration of Ukraine policy paused NATO membership talks for Kyiv.
This story originally appeared on The Daily Mail.