Trump receives ‘red carpet rollout' over Operation Midnight Hammer
Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer says US President Donald Trump is receiving a 'red carpet rollout' for Operation Midnight Hammer.
'It's hard to separate this red carpet rollout the President is currently receiving over in the Hague,' Mr Hammer told Sky News host Rita Panahi.
'It's hard to distance that from Operation Midnight Hammer in Iran … that was an unmitigated reminder, I think, to NATO, to the Western World … that America is still here.
'America is still the big elephant in the room.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Advertiser
10 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Rutte likens Trump to a 'daddy' in Israel-Iran conflict
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has likened US President Donald Trump to a "daddy" intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the Trump repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week. Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit, Trump again criticised Israel and Iran. "They've had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he said. In response, Rutte laughed and said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop." On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing". With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on US financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the US president. "No, I don't think so. I think it's a bit of a question of taste," he said, calling Trump a "good friend" for more than a decade and praising his role in "finally" persuading European countries to boost military spending. "So doesn't he deserve some praise?" Rutte asked, also noting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. "And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability - I think he deserves all the praise." Asked about Rutte's comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. "He did it very affectionately," Trump said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has likened US President Donald Trump to a "daddy" intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the Trump repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week. Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit, Trump again criticised Israel and Iran. "They've had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he said. In response, Rutte laughed and said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop." On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing". With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on US financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the US president. "No, I don't think so. I think it's a bit of a question of taste," he said, calling Trump a "good friend" for more than a decade and praising his role in "finally" persuading European countries to boost military spending. "So doesn't he deserve some praise?" Rutte asked, also noting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. "And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability - I think he deserves all the praise." Asked about Rutte's comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. "He did it very affectionately," Trump said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has likened US President Donald Trump to a "daddy" intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the Trump repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week. Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit, Trump again criticised Israel and Iran. "They've had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he said. In response, Rutte laughed and said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop." On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing". With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on US financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the US president. "No, I don't think so. I think it's a bit of a question of taste," he said, calling Trump a "good friend" for more than a decade and praising his role in "finally" persuading European countries to boost military spending. "So doesn't he deserve some praise?" Rutte asked, also noting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. "And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability - I think he deserves all the praise." Asked about Rutte's comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. "He did it very affectionately," Trump said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has likened US President Donald Trump to a "daddy" intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the Trump repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week. Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit, Trump again criticised Israel and Iran. "They've had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he said. In response, Rutte laughed and said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop." On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing". With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on US financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the US president. "No, I don't think so. I think it's a bit of a question of taste," he said, calling Trump a "good friend" for more than a decade and praising his role in "finally" persuading European countries to boost military spending. "So doesn't he deserve some praise?" Rutte asked, also noting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. "And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability - I think he deserves all the praise." Asked about Rutte's comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. "He did it very affectionately," Trump said.


The Advertiser
10 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Trump meets Zelenskiy, says Putin 'has to end' war
US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war". His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague. Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars". During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available". Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries. Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months. He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens." The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said. Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them. He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive". "Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other." Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war." Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February. He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine. However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded. Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine. While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have. US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war". His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague. Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars". During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available". Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries. Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months. He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens." The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said. Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them. He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive". "Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other." Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war." Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February. He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine. However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded. Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine. While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have. US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war". His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague. Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars". During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available". Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries. Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months. He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens." The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said. Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them. He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive". "Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other." Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war." Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February. He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine. However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded. Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine. While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have. US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war". His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague. Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars". During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available". Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries. Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months. He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens." The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said. Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them. He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive". "Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other." Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war." Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February. He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine. However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded. Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine. While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have.


The Advertiser
10 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
NATO members commit to spending hike sought by Trump
NATO leaders have backed a big increase in military spending that US President Donald Trump had demanded, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit in the Netherlands. While Trump got what he wanted at the annual meeting, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be relieved that he committed to the military alliance's fundamental principle of collective defence. Trump told a press conference that "we had a great victory here," adding that he hoped that the additional funds would be spent on military hardware made in the United States. However, he threatened to punish Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared it could meet its commitments to NATO while spending much less than the new target of five per cent of GDP. "I think it's terrible. You know, they (Spain) are doing very well ... And that economy could be blown right out of the water when something bad happens," Trump said, adding that Spain would get a tougher trade deal from the US than other European Union countries. In a five-point statement, NATO endorsed the higher defence spending goal - a response not only to Trump but also to Europeans' fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The 32 allies' brief communique added: "We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all." Asked to clarify his own stance on Article 5, Trump said: "I stand with it. That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here." Trump had long demanded in no uncertain terms that other countries step up their spending to reduce NATO's heavy reliance on the US. Despite an appearance of general agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of the steep import tariffs threatened by Trump, and the damage they may do to transatlantic trade, as a barrier to increased military spending. "We can't say we are going to spend more and then, at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war," Macron said, calling it "an aberration". He said he had raised it several times with Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who hosted the summit in his home city of The Hague, said NATO would emerge as a "stronger, fairer and more lethal" alliance. The former Dutch prime minister said Trump deserved "all the praise" for getting NATO members to agree on raising defence spending. Asked by a reporter if he had deployed excessive flattery to keep Trump onside during the summit, Rutte said the two men were friends and judgment of his approach was a matter of taste. The new spending target - to be achieved over the next 10 years - is a jump worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year from the current goal of two per cent of GDP, although it will be measured differently. Countries pledged to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence - such as troops and weapons - and 1.5 per cent on broader defence-related measures such as cyber security, protecting pipelines and adapting roads and bridges to handle heavy military vehicles. NATO leaders have backed a big increase in military spending that US President Donald Trump had demanded, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit in the Netherlands. While Trump got what he wanted at the annual meeting, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be relieved that he committed to the military alliance's fundamental principle of collective defence. Trump told a press conference that "we had a great victory here," adding that he hoped that the additional funds would be spent on military hardware made in the United States. However, he threatened to punish Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared it could meet its commitments to NATO while spending much less than the new target of five per cent of GDP. "I think it's terrible. You know, they (Spain) are doing very well ... And that economy could be blown right out of the water when something bad happens," Trump said, adding that Spain would get a tougher trade deal from the US than other European Union countries. In a five-point statement, NATO endorsed the higher defence spending goal - a response not only to Trump but also to Europeans' fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The 32 allies' brief communique added: "We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all." Asked to clarify his own stance on Article 5, Trump said: "I stand with it. That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here." Trump had long demanded in no uncertain terms that other countries step up their spending to reduce NATO's heavy reliance on the US. Despite an appearance of general agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of the steep import tariffs threatened by Trump, and the damage they may do to transatlantic trade, as a barrier to increased military spending. "We can't say we are going to spend more and then, at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war," Macron said, calling it "an aberration". He said he had raised it several times with Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who hosted the summit in his home city of The Hague, said NATO would emerge as a "stronger, fairer and more lethal" alliance. The former Dutch prime minister said Trump deserved "all the praise" for getting NATO members to agree on raising defence spending. Asked by a reporter if he had deployed excessive flattery to keep Trump onside during the summit, Rutte said the two men were friends and judgment of his approach was a matter of taste. The new spending target - to be achieved over the next 10 years - is a jump worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year from the current goal of two per cent of GDP, although it will be measured differently. Countries pledged to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence - such as troops and weapons - and 1.5 per cent on broader defence-related measures such as cyber security, protecting pipelines and adapting roads and bridges to handle heavy military vehicles. NATO leaders have backed a big increase in military spending that US President Donald Trump had demanded, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit in the Netherlands. While Trump got what he wanted at the annual meeting, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be relieved that he committed to the military alliance's fundamental principle of collective defence. Trump told a press conference that "we had a great victory here," adding that he hoped that the additional funds would be spent on military hardware made in the United States. However, he threatened to punish Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared it could meet its commitments to NATO while spending much less than the new target of five per cent of GDP. "I think it's terrible. You know, they (Spain) are doing very well ... And that economy could be blown right out of the water when something bad happens," Trump said, adding that Spain would get a tougher trade deal from the US than other European Union countries. In a five-point statement, NATO endorsed the higher defence spending goal - a response not only to Trump but also to Europeans' fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The 32 allies' brief communique added: "We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all." Asked to clarify his own stance on Article 5, Trump said: "I stand with it. That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here." Trump had long demanded in no uncertain terms that other countries step up their spending to reduce NATO's heavy reliance on the US. Despite an appearance of general agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of the steep import tariffs threatened by Trump, and the damage they may do to transatlantic trade, as a barrier to increased military spending. "We can't say we are going to spend more and then, at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war," Macron said, calling it "an aberration". He said he had raised it several times with Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who hosted the summit in his home city of The Hague, said NATO would emerge as a "stronger, fairer and more lethal" alliance. The former Dutch prime minister said Trump deserved "all the praise" for getting NATO members to agree on raising defence spending. Asked by a reporter if he had deployed excessive flattery to keep Trump onside during the summit, Rutte said the two men were friends and judgment of his approach was a matter of taste. The new spending target - to be achieved over the next 10 years - is a jump worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year from the current goal of two per cent of GDP, although it will be measured differently. Countries pledged to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence - such as troops and weapons - and 1.5 per cent on broader defence-related measures such as cyber security, protecting pipelines and adapting roads and bridges to handle heavy military vehicles. NATO leaders have backed a big increase in military spending that US President Donald Trump had demanded, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit in the Netherlands. While Trump got what he wanted at the annual meeting, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be relieved that he committed to the military alliance's fundamental principle of collective defence. Trump told a press conference that "we had a great victory here," adding that he hoped that the additional funds would be spent on military hardware made in the United States. However, he threatened to punish Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared it could meet its commitments to NATO while spending much less than the new target of five per cent of GDP. "I think it's terrible. You know, they (Spain) are doing very well ... And that economy could be blown right out of the water when something bad happens," Trump said, adding that Spain would get a tougher trade deal from the US than other European Union countries. In a five-point statement, NATO endorsed the higher defence spending goal - a response not only to Trump but also to Europeans' fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The 32 allies' brief communique added: "We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all." Asked to clarify his own stance on Article 5, Trump said: "I stand with it. That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here." Trump had long demanded in no uncertain terms that other countries step up their spending to reduce NATO's heavy reliance on the US. Despite an appearance of general agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of the steep import tariffs threatened by Trump, and the damage they may do to transatlantic trade, as a barrier to increased military spending. "We can't say we are going to spend more and then, at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war," Macron said, calling it "an aberration". He said he had raised it several times with Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who hosted the summit in his home city of The Hague, said NATO would emerge as a "stronger, fairer and more lethal" alliance. The former Dutch prime minister said Trump deserved "all the praise" for getting NATO members to agree on raising defence spending. Asked by a reporter if he had deployed excessive flattery to keep Trump onside during the summit, Rutte said the two men were friends and judgment of his approach was a matter of taste. The new spending target - to be achieved over the next 10 years - is a jump worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year from the current goal of two per cent of GDP, although it will be measured differently. Countries pledged to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence - such as troops and weapons - and 1.5 per cent on broader defence-related measures such as cyber security, protecting pipelines and adapting roads and bridges to handle heavy military vehicles.