Takeaways from the Trump-dominated NATO summit
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — NATO's summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday has been described as 'transformational' and 'historic.' 'We're witnessing the birth of a new NATO,' Finland's President Alexander Stubb said.
The 32 members of the world's biggest security organization endorsed a plan to massively ramp up defense spending, 'back to the defense expenditure levels of the Cold War,' as Stubb put it, driven by U.S. President Donald Trump and fears of the security threat posed by Russia.
Here are some of the takeaways from the two-day meeting in The Hague.
Tens of billions of dollars in new military spending
The nonbinding spending agreement means a steep budget hike for NATO's European members and Canada that will cost them tens of billions of dollars.
It's a major revamp of the way NATO calculates defense spending. Until now, the allies had set a target of 2% of gross domestic product for their defense budgets. Now they'll be aiming for 3.5% by 2035.
They'll now be able to include weapons and ammunition they supply to Ukraine in the equation, making the new target slightly easier to reach, but still difficult for Canada and a number of European countries with economic troubles.
On top of that, the allies will dedicate 1.5% of their GDP to upgrading infrastructure — roads, bridges, ports and airfields — needed to deploy armies to the front. Money spent on protecting networks or preparing societies for future conflict can be included.
Progress will be reviewed in 2029, after the next U.S. presidential election.
Not everyone is on board. Spain officially refused the agreement. Slovakia had reservations. Belgium, France and Italy will struggle to meet the new target.
A Trump commitment to collective defense
The leaders reaffirmed their 'ironclad commitment' to NATO's collective defense clause, Article 5. In recent years, Trump had sowed seeds of doubt about whether the U.S. — NATO's most powerful member — would come to the aid of any ally under attack.
Trump had appeared to condition that support on higher defense spending. With NATO's new spending pledge in the bag, he told reporters that 'I left there saying that these people really love their countries. It's not a ripoff. And we're here to help them protect their country.'
He added that 'they want to protect their country, and they need the United States, and without the United States, it's not going to be the same.'
A sidelined Ukraine
After Russia invaded Ukraine by launching the biggest land conflict since World War II in 2022, NATO summits have largely focused on providing support to Kyiv. This summit was different.
Previously, the emphasis was on Ukraine's membership prospects and on bringing it closer to NATO without actually joining. But the final summit statement this time made no such mention.
Instead, the leaders underlined 'their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine.'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was at the venue. He dined with other leaders at the Dutch king's residence, held talks with several leaders and spent half an hour or so with Trump.
NATO's plan was to focus the meeting only on Trump's pet cause, defense spending. Foreign ministers did meet on the sidelines with their Ukrainian counterpart in an official NATO-Ukraine Council.
In a minor win for Ukraine, and for allies needing to persuade citizens that their governments must spend more on defense, Russia was identified as the standout of the 'profound security threats and challenges' facing NATO.
A 'nice group of people'
If there were doubts that the United States runs NATO, the summit removed them. A very shortened summit and one-page statement were prepared to keep the U.S. president happy and focused.
As Trump flew to the Netherlands, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte sent a text message gushing about him being on the verge of a great achievement and saying, 'Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.'
Trump posted the message on social media. Rutte said he wasn't embarrassed and that it was all true.
After the meeting, Trump said he came to the summit seeing it as a political chore, but he was leaving convinced that the assembled leaders love the alliance, their own countries and, mostly importantly, the United States.
He called NATO leaders a 'nice group of people' and said that 'almost every one of them said 'Thank God for the United States.''
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
U.S., Iran to talk next week and 'may sign an agreement,' Trump says
President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold a meeting with Iran next week but cast doubt on the need for a diplomatic agreement on the country's nuclear program, citing the damage that American bombing had done to key sites. 'We're going to talk to them next week,' Trump said Wednesday at a press conference during the NATO summit at The Hague, without giving more details. 'We may sign an agreement. I don't know, to me, I don't think it's that necessary.' He reiterated that the U.S. strikes on the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow facilities had 'obliterated' them, again disputing an American intelligence assessment that said Tehran's nuclear program had only been set back by a matter of months. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The comments came on day two of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, ending 12 days of conflict that threatened to escalate into a wider regional war and upend energy markets. As the missiles fell silent and oil prices plunged — wiping out most of their increase during the hostilities — focus has switched to a possible next stage of nuclear diplomacy. Trump said the conflict was effectively 'over' after the U.S. bombing mission — though he also warned: 'Can it start again? I guess someday it can. It could maybe start soon.' Iran has been sending signals that it's ready to resume talks, which were underway with the U.S. before Israel attacked. 'The logic of war has failed — return to the logic of diplomacy,' Iran's mission to the United Nations said Wednesday. The mission didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's hint at new talks. Before Israel's June 13 attack on Iran, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff had taken the lead in five rounds of talks with the Islamic Republic, seeking a deal to replace the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned during his first term. 'We're hopeful for a comprehensive peace agreement,' Witkoff said Wednesday on CNBC when asked what the next steps are for diplomacy with Iran. 'We were hopeful when we first started negotiations. It didn't quite work out that way, but today, we are hopeful. The signs are there.' Witkoff said the U.S. has been 'having conversations with the Iranians' and that 'multiple interlocutors are reaching out to us,' adding that his 'strong sense' is that 'they're ready.' 'For Iran, a diplomatic track makes as much sense today as it did before the attack,' said Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. 'It seems that the Iranian program was not fully disabled. This may tempt Israel or the U.S. to conduct additional strikes. A diplomatic process will obviate that possibility.' It's not clear what that would entail. The UN's nuclear watchdog has for decades been central to monitoring of Iranian nuclear activities. But Tehran is in no hurry to resume working with the agency, which it blames for failing to condemn the U.S. and Israeli attacks. Iran's parliament has approved legislation that would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency until nuclear sites are secured, though any ultimate decision will be taken at higher levels of the state. The IAEA said Tuesday that inspections in Iran should resume 'as soon as possible' to determine what's happened to stocks of uranium enriched to 60 per cent levels, not far short of the 90 per cent required to build a bomb. The IAEA says it last verified those inventories a few days before Israel's June 13 attack and their whereabouts is now unknown, suggesting they may have been moved preemptively from sites targeted by U.S. bombs. Trump said the U.S. bunker-buster strikes had eliminated some key risks by burying the country's atomic materials under 'granite, concrete and steel.' 'We think everything nuclear is down there,' he said. 'They didn't take it out.' Pressed about the sources for such findings, he cited new intelligence assessments and also said 'we've also spoken to people who've seen the site,' without identifying them. The White House declined to specify to whom Trump was referring. Iran's nuclear installations were 'badly damaged' by U.S. airstrikes, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told Al Jazeera TV on Wednesday, in the first such comments from Tehran. The official didn't give further details and said authorities were still reviewing the situation on the ground. Trump cited that assessment during his NATO press conference, as well as a statement by Israel's nuclear agency that said the Fordow site had been rendered inoperable and Tehran's ability to make a nuclear weapon set back by 'many years.' Earlier this month, Trump had said Iran was 'weeks away' from having an atomic weapon, though some experts and U.S. intelligence estimates said it could take months or years for the nation to develop a weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear program has purely civilian purposes, and that it's entitled to pursue that goal under international law. Witkoff said that 'enrichment is the red line' for the U.S. with Iran, 'and beyond enrichment, weaponization is the red line.' Israel's attacks on Iranian military and nuclear sites killed several top generals and atomic scientists. Iran countered by firing drones and ballistic missiles into Israel. Both have declared victory. The death toll from the Israeli airstrikes climbed to 627 and more than 4,800 people have been wounded, according to Iranian state media reports. At least 28 people have been killed in Israel in Iranian missile attacks, emergency services officials said, including four on Tuesday morning just as the truce was to take effect. Oil has slid back to around the levels it was trading at before the fighting began, posting a two-day decline of some 14 per cent. It rebounded slightly on Wednesday as Trump played down the prospect of near-term sanctions relief for Iran. Asked if his Tuesday comments approving Chinese purchases of Iranian oil undermined his strategy of maximum pressure on Iran, Trump said he is 'not giving up' on it. But he also indicated U.S. financial penalties are doing little to stop Beijing from buying Tehran's supplies. 'If they're going to sell oil, they're going to sell oil,' Trump said. 'China is going to want to buy oil. They can buy it from us. They can buy it from other people.' Bank of Israel chief Amir Yaron told Bloomberg that the military campaign cost the government about 1 per cent of gross national product and would require revisions to this year's budget. He said gains on the country's financial markets suggest that they see the conflict resulting in 'a positive outcome for Israel.' Iran's civil aviation authority said 13 airports in the country's eastern regions have reopened for flights, though Tehran's airports remain closed until further notice, according to state media. Trump said both nations are 'tired, exhausted. They fought very, very hard and very viciously, very violently, and they were both satisfied to go home and get out.' — With assistance from Ryan Chua, Kate Sullivan, Skylar Woodhouse, Hadriana Lowenkron and Golnar Motevalli Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
U.S., Iran to talk next week and 'may sign an agreement,' Trump says
Article content President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold a meeting with Iran next week but cast doubt on the need for a diplomatic agreement on the country's nuclear program, citing the damage that American bombing had done to key sites. 'We're going to talk to them next week,' Trump said Wednesday at a press conference during the NATO summit at The Hague, without giving more details. 'We may sign an agreement. I don't know, to me, I don't think it's that necessary.'
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'This is an opportunity': Federal energy minister says world is eying Canada's critical minerals
Article content Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says he constantly hears from other countries that want to buy critical minerals from Canada, and that is presenting the country with an opportunity for economic growth. Article content 'At the G7 (meeting this month in Alberta), all the countries said they wanted to buy Canadian critical minerals,' he said at a Toronto Region Board of Trade event on Wednesday. 'Right now, at the NATO summit, what the prime minister is hearing is that all those countries want to buy our critical minerals. This is an opportunity for us.' Article content Article content Article content Hodgson said Canada needs to ensure it mines critical minerals, but also builds processing facilities so that it can share in some of the wealth created by products made from what it mines. The federal government is focused on ensuring Canada builds major projects quickly and responsibly, he added. Article content Article content Hodgson said Canada is standing at a unique moment in its history that is defined by 'instability.' Supply chains are 'being ripped apart,' climate change is advancing and Canada is in the midst of a 'devastating trade war ' with the United States, its closest trading partner. Article content Last week, the House of Commons passed Bill C-5, which he referred to as the One Canadian Economy Act because he said it would break down interprovincial trade barriers while also ensuring that major nation-building projects, such as mines, pipelines and other infrastructure, are built quickly and with the consent of affected communities. Article content Article content As part of that process, he said Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to hold a summit on July 17 with leaders from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to discuss some of the projects that will be fast-tracked. Article content Article content 'The goal here is to create certainty that catalyzes investment,' Hodgson said. Article content He said Canada also has an opportunity because it is unified in its resolve to grow its economy by working together despite the impending crisis brought on by the trade war. Article content 'This is a trade war we did not ask for, but it is a trade war we must win,' he said. Article content It was similar to the message that Ontario's Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce delivered when he introduced Hodgson at the event.
