NATO chief lavishes praise on Trump in fawning message

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised US President Donald Trump for making Europe "pay successful a BIG way," arsenic leaders gathered successful nan Netherlands for a historical acme that could merge them astir a caller defence spending promise aliases widen divisions among nan 32 personnel countries of nan information alliance.

The US president, while en route, published a screenshot of a backstage connection from Rutte saying: "Donald, you person driven america to a really, really important infinitesimal for America and Europe and nan world. You will execute thing NO American president successful decades could get done."

"Europe is going to salary successful a BIG way, arsenic they should, and it will beryllium your win," Rutte wrote. NATO confirmed that he sent nan message.

Rutte appeared unconcerned that Trump aired it, telling reporters: "I person perfectly nary problem aliases problem pinch that because there's thing successful it which had to enactment secret."

Trump arrived early successful nan evening aft injecting uncertainty complete whether nan US would abide by nan communal defence guarantees outlined successful nan NATO treaty. "Depends connected your definition," he said. Rutte said he has nary uncertainty astir nan Article 5 guarantee, which says an equipped onslaught connected 1 personnel is an onslaught connected all.

On Wednesday, nan friends are apt to endorse a extremity of spending 5 per cent of their gross home merchandise connected their security, to beryllium capable to fulfil nan alliance's plans for defending against extracurricular attack. Trump has said nan US should not person to.

As of July past year, two-thirds of NATO members (23 of 32) had fulfilled a commitment to collectively walk $1.47 trillion ($2.26 trillion) connected defence.

Spain said it could not, and that nan target was "unreasonable." Slovakia said it reserved nan correct to determine really to scope nan target by NATO's caller 2035 deadline.

"There's a problem pinch Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to nan remainder of them, frankly," Trump told reporters.

In 2018, a NATO acme during Trump's first word unraveled owed to a conflict complete defence spending.

Ahead of nan meeting, Britain, France and Germany committed to nan 5 per cent goal. The Netherlands is besides connected board. Nations person to nan borders of Ukraine, Russia and its state Belarus had antecedently pledged to do so.

Trump's first quality astatine NATO since returning to nan White House was expected to centre connected really nan US secured nan historical subject spending promise from others successful nan confederation – efficaciously bending it to its will.

But nan spotlight has shifted to Trump's determination to onslaught 3 atomic enrichment accommodation successful Iran that nan management says eroded Tehran's atomic ambitions, arsenic good arsenic nan president's abrupt announcement that Israel and Iran had reached a "complete and full ceasefire."

Ukraine has besides suffered arsenic a consequence of that caller conflict. It has created a request for weapons and ammunition that Kyiv desperately wants, and shifted nan world's attention. Past NATO summits person focused almost wholly connected nan warfare successful Ukraine, now successful its 4th year.

Still, Rutte insisted NATO could negociate much than 1 conflict astatine a time.

"If we would not beryllium capable to woody pinch ... nan Middle East, which is very large and commanding each nan headlines, and Ukraine astatine nan aforesaid time, we should not beryllium successful nan business of authorities and subject astatine all," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived successful The Hague for meetings, contempt his absence from a leaders' gathering aiming to seal nan subject spending agreement.

It's a large alteration since nan acme successful Washington past year, erstwhile nan alliance's weighty communique included a vow to proviso semipermanent information assistance to Ukraine, and a committedness to backmost nan state "on its irreversible path" to NATO membership.

Zelenskyy's first charismatic engagement this clip was pinch Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof astatine his charismatic residence crossed nan roadworthy from nan acme venue.

But successful a telling motion of Ukraine's position astatine nan summit, neither leader mentioned NATO. Ukraine's bid to subordinate nan confederation has been put successful heavy frost by Trump.

"Let maine beryllium very clear, Ukraine is portion of nan family that we telephone nan Euro-Atlantic family," Schoof told Zelenskyy, who successful move said he sees his country's early successful bid "and of course, a portion of a large family of EU family."

Schoof utilized nan gathering to denote a caller package of Dutch support to Kyiv including 100 radar systems to observe drones and a move to nutrient drones for Ukraine successful nan Netherlands, utilizing Kyiv's specifications.

The US has made nary caller nationalist pledges of support to Ukraine since Trump took agency six months ago.

Meeting later pinch Rutte and apical EU officials, Zelenskyy appealed for European finance successful Ukraine's defence industry, which tin nutrient weapons and ammunition much quickly and cheaply than elsewhere successful Europe.

"No doubt, we must extremity (Russian President Vladimir) Putin now and successful Ukraine. But we person to understand that his objectives scope beyond Ukraine," he said. He said NATO's caller target of 5 per cent of GDP "is nan correct level."

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