NATO’s Suck-Up To Trump Strategy Appears To Work

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — NATO allies’ strategy of effusively flattering President Donald Trump to prevent him disrupting the group’s annual summit appears to have worked, with Trump declaring that he supports the mutual-assistance clause that he has repeatedly questioned.

“Why would I be here? If I didn’t stand with it, why would I be here?” he told reporters at a meeting with the Netherlands’ prime minister, Dick Schoof.

The 32-nation military alliance announced it had agreed to increase its defense spending target from its current 2% of GDP to 5%, with at least 3.5% on core military spending and 1.5% allowed on ancillary things like infrastructure.

Compared to previous joint statements following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Wednesday’s barely mentioned either country, likely in deference to Trump’s animosity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom Trump tried to extort during his first term, and his long-standing affinity toward Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was asked at a post-summit news conference about whether he found his need to offer over-the-top praise for Trump “demeaning.” He answered that he did not.

“I think he’s a good friend, and when he is doing stuff which is forcing us to, for example, when it comes to making more investments,” he said, and then suggested that it was Trump’s insistence that NATO allies spend more on defense — as opposed to a response to Russia’s continued slaughter of Ukrainian civilians — that persuaded member nations to increase spending. “Doesn’t he deserve some praise?”

Trump, for his part, during a signature, rambling, insult- and lie-filled 45-minute news conference afterward seemed to enjoy the deference Rutte had shown, even when he referred to Trump as “daddy” during a morning photo opportunity.

“He did it very affectionately,” Trump said with a wide grin. “‘Daddy, you’re my daddy.’”

Trump also again displayed his views about Zelenskyy and Putin when asked why he did not appear with Zelenskyy after their brief meeting just before the news conference to make a joint statement.

“Frankly, I had some problems with Zelenskyy. You may have read about him,” Trump said about the Ukrainian leader, whom Trump has blamed for his first impeachment in 2020 after word leaked about his attempt to tie release of military aid to Ukraine to an investigation Trump wanted Zelenskyy to announce into then-candidate Joe Biden.

As for Putin, while other NATO leaders describe him as a lying, murderous thug, Trump said: “I consider him a person that’s misguided.”

Trump has a knack for roiling whatever conference he attends, and he did Tuesday, hours before his arrival, as he flew across the Atlantic on Air Force One.

Asked a question about NATO’s mutual defense pact, contained in Article 5 of the alliance’s charter, Trump, as he has in the past, hedged on his commitment to it. “It depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5, you know that, right?” he said.

Other leaders do not, in fact, “know that.”

“Article 5 is very simple, all for one and one for all,” said Lithuanian prime minister Gitanas Nausėda told reporters as he walked into the meeting site Wednesday. “It will be pretty clear, what is Article 5.”

That provision has only been invoked once in the alliance’s 76 years, after the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. When America responded by deposing the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, NATO allies also sent troops.

Whether Trump knows this history or cares is unclear. He has for years inaccurately described NATO as if it were a mob protection racket, with the U.S. in the role of mob boss, collecting dues and in return guaranteeing the security of those who pay.

Trump during his news conference did appear to show some evolution on that topic. “These people really love their countries. It’s not a rip-off, and we’re here to help them protect their country,” he said.

NATO and member nations’ flattery of Trump had begun months ago. Visiting leaders from allied nations invariably made a point of publicly praising Trump for his leadership, thanking him for getting member states to increase their defense spending even as he routinely and repeatedly mischaracterized that spending as “dues” paid to the United States.

The over-top-praise began peaking as Trump began his journey to The Hague Tuesday morning with a text message from Rutte to Trump. “You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent!” it read in part. Trump promptly made the message public by posting it on his personal social media site, Truth Social.

Rutte continued in that vein at the opening of the formal business meeting Wednesday. “For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden of that commitment. And that changes today,” he told Trump, who was seated beside him. “President Trump, dear Donald, you made this change possible. Your leadership on this has already produced $1 trillion in extra spending from European allies since 2016.”