NATO's Leader Says President Trump 'Deserves All the Praise'

Mark Rutte leads NATO, a military alliance of 32 countries that includes the United States, Canada, and most of Europe. He recently sat down for a long interview to explain why he thinks President Trump has actually made NATO stronger. A big NATO meeting just took place in The Hague, Netherlands. It ended with a major agreement about how much money member countries will spend on defense.

NATO was created after World War II to protect member countries, especially from Russia. All members agree that if one of them is attacked, the others will help defend it. That promise is written in a rule called Article V. For many years, the U.S. has spent far more on defense than its European partners.

Trump has long criticized NATO members for not spending enough. He once said he would not protect a country that didn't pay its share. Rutte said that tough pressure actually worked. European nations had been asked to spend at least 2 percent of their national income on defense, but most were not reaching that goal.

At the summit, all 32 NATO members agreed to a new target: spending 5 percent of their national income on defense by 2035. Rutte said this never would have happened without Trump. He said, 'President Trump deserves all the praise. Because without his leadership, we would never, ever, ever have been able to achieve agreement on this.'

Some people criticized Rutte for being too flattering toward Trump. One person called his style 'fawning.' Others made jokes about NATO standing for the 'North Atlantic Trump Organization.' Rutte said he did not care. He said his job is to keep all 32 countries united, and that means working closely with the biggest partner — the United States.

Rutte said NATO still matters deeply to Americans. He explained that the U.S. needs a safe Arctic, a safe Atlantic Ocean, and a safe Europe to stay secure. Russia is building up its military very quickly. Rutte warned that Russia's military spending is growing at a pace not seen in recent history.

Rutte also warned about other threats. He said Russia is working with North Korea, China, and Iran. He said China may one day try to take Taiwan, and Russia could cause trouble in Europe at the same time. This is why, he said, NATO and countries in Asia need to work together more closely.

Rutte talked about Estonia, a small NATO country on Russia's border. A magazine article described a military exercise there that did not go well for Estonia's side. Rutte said Estonia is never alone — if Russia attacked, all of NATO would respond. He said Putin knows this, which is why Russia has not attacked yet.

The interview also covered the war in Ukraine, which started when Russia invaded in 2022. European countries have put together $35 billion in military aid for Ukraine this year. Rutte said the U.S. asked Europe to take on more of that cost, and Europe is doing it. He praised Trump for starting talks with Russian President Putin.

Near the end, Rutte was asked if NATO could last without the United States. He said that question will never need to be answered. He grew up in the Netherlands, a country freed by American soldiers in World War II. He said he believes Trump is fully committed to keeping NATO strong, even if his style is sometimes rough.