2025-06-28 10:00:00
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President Donald Trump delivered a convincing endorsement of NATO this week, marking a pointy turnaround in his years-long, usually contentious relationship with the alliance.
As soon as recognized for blasting allies over protection spending and even threatening to tug out of NATO altogether, Trump now seems to have had a change of coronary heart.
“I left right here in a different way. I left right here saying that these folks actually love their nations,” Trump mentioned after the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague.
The pivot comes as NATO nations greater than doubled their collective protection spending goal – elevating the bar from 2% to five% of GDP.
WORLD LEADERS FLOCK TO MEET WITH TRUMP AT NATO SUMMIT
NATO leaders pose for a photograph on the 2025 summit. (Reuters/Claudia Greco)
From Hostile Rhetoric to Royal Receptions
The president’s renewed embrace of the alliance follows years of friction, high-profile clashes with world leaders and controversial feedback. But at this yr’s summit, the tone was strikingly completely different.
Trump was welcomed by Dutch royals, praised by the NATO secretary-general – who even referred to him as “daddy” – and returned residence lauding European allies for his or her patriotism. “It’s not a rip-off, and we’re right here to assist them,” Trump informed reporters.
The transformation is as dramatic as it’s surprising.
The Iran Issue: Navy Motion with World Impression
Trump arrived on the NATO summit on a excessive be aware, following U.S. strikes that crippled Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. In line with American and allied intelligence sources, the operation set again Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by a number of years.
The strike was extensively seen as each a present of power and a strategic warning – not simply to Iran however to NATO adversaries like Russia and China.
WORLD LEADERS FLOCK TO MEET WITH TRUMP AT NATO SUMMIT
“He actually got here in from this energy transfer,” mentioned Giedrimas Jeglinskas, a former NATO official and present chairman of Lithuania’s nationwide safety committee.
“Amongst some, positively Jap Europe, Central Europe, Nordic Europe, this assault, using these actually refined weapons and bombers, was the rebuilding of the deterrence narrative of the West, not simply of America.”
Trump was welcomed by Dutch royals, praised by the NATO secretary-general – who even referred to him as “daddy” – and returned residence lauding European allies for his or her patriotism. “It’s not a rip-off, and we’re right here to assist them,” Trump informed reporters. (AP Photograph/Matthias Schrader)
Timeline: Trump’s Rocky Street with NATO
2016 Marketing campaign Path
Trump repeatedly known as NATO “out of date,” questioning its relevance and slamming allies for failing to pay their “fair proportion.”
“It’s costing us an excessive amount of cash… We’re paying disproportionately. It’s an excessive amount of,” he mentioned in March 2016.
He criticized NATO for missing deal with terrorism, later taking credit score when it created a chief intelligence put up.
February 2017 – Early Presidency
Trump softened his tone after changing into president.
“We strongly assist NATO,” he mentioned after visiting Central Command. “We solely ask that each one members make their full and correct monetary contribution.”
He continued to push for members to fulfill the two% goal by 2024.
2018 Brussels Summit
Trump privately threatened to tug the U.S. from NATO except allies elevated spending.
“Now we’re in World Battle III defending a rustic that wasn’t paying its payments,” he warned.
Regardless of the posturing, he known as NATO a “fine-tuned machine” after extracting new spending commitments. He additionally accused Germany of being a “captive of Russia” over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
TRUMP HEADS TO NATO SUMMIT AS EUROPE AGREES TO HEED HIS DEFENSE SPENDING DEMANDS
President Donald Trump, pictured with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, delivered a convincing endorsement of NATO this week, marking a pointy turnaround in his years-long, usually contentious relationship with the alliance. (AP Photograph Kin Cheung, Poo)
2019 London Summit
The drama continued, this time with French President Emmanuel Macron calling NATO “brain-dead.”
“NATO serves a terrific function. I believe that’s very insulting,” Trump responded.
He additionally clashed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – calling him “two-faced” after Trudeau was caught mocking Trump on digicam.
2020 – Troop Withdrawal from Germany
Trump ordered 12,000 U.S. troops out of Germany, citing Berlin’s protection shortfalls.
February 2024 – Russia Controversy
Trump ignited backlash after suggesting he’d let Russia “do regardless of the hell they need” to NATO nations that failed to fulfill spending obligations.
The comment sparked pressing contingency talks amongst European leaders about the way forward for the alliance if the U.S. didn’t step as much as its protection.
June 2025: A Completely different Trump, a Completely different NATO
The 2025 summit in The Hague unfolded with shocking calm. Trump’s hosts rolled out the purple carpet. “He is the person of the hour and a very powerful man on the earth,” Jeglinskas mentioned.
Jeglinskas credited Trump’s blunt diplomacy – nevertheless unorthodox – for serving to drive actual reform “He is introduced in tectonic change to the alliance’s capabilities by… being himself,” he added. “It’s a present for the alliance.”
Trump is greeted by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima at Paleis Huis ten Bosch on the NATO summit. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Photos)
Two Forces Behind NATO’s Revival: Russia and Trump
Consultants agree NATO’s latest revitalization stems from two main catalysts: Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Trump’s relentless stress on allies to spice up protection.
“President Trump is driving excessive this week with two main overseas coverage victories,” mentioned Matthew Kroenig, vp on the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Heart, referencing NATO and the latest U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program. “It’s terrific. I hope he can stick with it.”
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He added, “Each president since Eisenhower has complained that NATO allies aren’t doing their fair proportion.”
Now, Trump was the one who lastly received them to pay attention, he mentioned.
