Trump Avoids Firm NATO Article 5 Commitment
(MENAFN) As President Donald Trump headed to a NATO summit in The Hague Tuesday, he refrained from providing an unambiguous pledge to uphold NATO’s Article 5, the alliance’s cornerstone mutual defense clause. When pressed on whether the U.S. would defend allies under this provision, Trump responded, it "depends on your definition, there's numerous definitions of Article Five. You know that, right?"
Seeking a firmer stance, reporters pressed Trump for clarity. He replied, “I'm committed to saving lives. I'm committed to life and safety, and I'm going to give you an exact definition when I get there. I just don't want to do it on the back of an airplane.”
Trump also criticized NATO members’ financial contributions during his initial involvement with the alliance nearly a decade ago. “Seven of the 28 ... were paying their dues, but they weren't paying very much,” he said, labeling NATO as “broke” at the time. Claiming credit for boosting these payments, Trump stated, “I said, you're gonna have to pay and we did a whole thing, and now they're paying a lot.”
Pushing for further increases, Trump urged alliance members to raise defense spending to “4% or 5%” of their GDP, asserting that higher contributions “gives them much more power” and fosters “stronger peace, better peace” through collective strength.
In response, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte conveyed to Trump that all members had agreed to a 5% defense spending target.
Despite the contentious moments, Trump emphasized his dedication to maintaining alliance relationships: “I'm committed to being their friends, and I become friends with many of those leaders.”
Meanwhile, Trump took to Truth Social, stating he was en route to the NATO summit “where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran.” He expressed optimism about the meetings ahead, adding, “Hopefully, much will be accomplished!”
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