Tension at Nato summit over Trump's commitment to Article 5 as leaders gather for second day

The Guardian

5 hours ago

Update:
Date: 2025-06-25T07:55:24.000Z
Title: Morning opening: Welcome to the Trump show
Content: Heads of state and government from 32 Nato member countries are gathering in The Hague this morning for a summit seeking to project unity and resolve in the face of growing security challenges from Russia and China.
On paper, the plan is clear: formalise a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP and demonstrate that European allies are stepping up.
But, as often these days, uncertainty looms.
US president Donald Trump has already stirred some unease ahead of the summit by appearing to distance himself from Nato's critical Article 5, which commits members to collective defence.
His informal chat with reporters on board Air Force One have injected tension into what was intended as a carefully choreographed show of unity, with Trump simply 'flying into another big success.'
Is this just Trump keeping his allies on their toes or a signal of deeper shifts in US foreign policy, amid concerns about the future of US military presence in Europe?
Answers may come soon, as leaders begin their discussions this morning. We should hear from Trump himself within the next hour.
We will bring you all the key lines here.
It's Wednesday, 25 June 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Update:
Date: 2025-06-25T07:53:58.000Z
Title: 'Absolutely no discussion over Article 5,' Poland's Duda says, but warns of 'real risk' of Russian attack in future
Content: Poland's president Andrzej Duda says 'everything indicates that there is unity between Nato countries, especially on that most important issue of increasing spending.'
He also stresses the importance of supporting the eastern flank of Nato, and extending strategic pipelines across Europe, as well as the need for continued support for Ukraine.
He then says that the shift in Nato's policy comes in response to 'Russian imperialist policy' and says he's been a long time advocate of raising the defence spending over the years.
He says there are two fundamental elements of Nato, the alliance's unity and Article 5, and insists 'there is absolutely no discussion over it.'
On Trump, he says 'the position of the president of the US is the strongest in the alliance,' as he praises his leadership within Nato.
He also says that 'Russia is exhausted' by its aggression of Ukraine.
'I don't expect that Russia is ready to attack another country now, but in the future, it's a real risk,' he says, and stresses its 'absolutely necessary' to ramp up defence spending in response.
Update:
Date: 2025-06-25T07:43:47.000Z
Title: 'There are no opt outs,' Belgian prime minister says in swipe at Spain
Content: Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever comes in somewhat questioning Spain's claim that it can reach the Nato targets by spending less than 5% of GDP on defence.
He says:
'I would like to underline that there are no opt outs whatsoever. Everybody accepts the same text. It's a matter of interpretation. You have to do the 5% and the capabilities.
And the interpretation of Spain is that they can realise the capabilities without doing three and a half percent of the GDP. This remains to be seen.'
He then adds that more broadly the increase the core defence spending to 3.5% within the next 10 years is 'realistic.'
Asked about Trump, he sidesteps that question and says:
'I don't think it is wise to comment on that, but it is the reality that we face.
So as Europeans, we should realise that our long break from history is over and that we take have to take our own responsibility for the security of our own continent in a very difficult time.'
Update:
Date: 2025-06-25T07:43:47.000Z
Title: No concerns about Article 5, Finnish president says, as he says Nato 'goes back to roots' of deterring Russia
Content: Finnish president Alexander Stubb also says the summit will be 'historic' as he explains it marks the moment Nato 'goes back to the roots of the Alliance in other words, functioning as a collective comprehensive defence system to deter Russia.'
Asked if he has any concerns about Article Five, he says:
'I do not have any concerns about that.'
Someone tries to push him further, asking how many times will he need to play golf with Trump to make him stop making ambiguous comments about Article 5.
'I don't think President Trump is relativising Article Five and golf is a good way to discuss business.'
He then goes on to say:
I think we're witnessing a change in the world order.
It's very similar to the moment that we witnessed after the first world war, the second world war and the cold war.
And of course, after the first world war, we got it wrong. After the second world war, the balance was more or less right. And after the cold war, I think we got intellectually lazy.
Now we need to sort things out, understand that the time of Western dominance is over. We're moving towards a world which is more transactional, which is more multipolar, and which is more disorderly. And this means, at least for a country like Finland that we need to have close allies, and we need to work on building up our security and defence.
Update:
Date: 2025-06-25T07:43:47.000Z
Title: Nato 'connecting the dots' at 'historic' summit, Norwegian prime minister says
Content: Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre says on arrival that 'the length of this meeting is really not indicative' of its historic significance.
'We are connecting the dots in Nato by getting the resources necessary to deliver on the capabilities,' he says.
'The important part now is the percentage is set, but it's only important if we're able to have that translated into the capabilities, so we have to invest in the right equipment that goes together,' he says.
He adds that Norway wants Nato to look at the Arctic and the High North, as 'we are the eyes and ears of Nato, next to [our] neighbour, Russia.'
He also says that 'we need to be talking about [our] common effort to support Ukraine.'
Asked about how to deal with US president Donald Trump, he says it's just important to remember we are all allies.
He ends by saying:
'I think the US is 100% behind Nato obligations and Article Five.'
Update:
Date: 2025-06-25T07:43:47.000Z
Title: Morning opening: Welcome to the Trump show
Content: Heads of state and government from 32 Nato member countries are gathering in The Hague this morning for a summit seeking to project unity and resolve in the face of growing security challenges from Russia and China.
On paper, the plan is clear: formalise a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP and demonstrate that European allies are stepping up.
But, as often these days, uncertainty looms.
US president Donald Trump has already stirred some unease ahead of the summit by appearing to distance himself from Nato's critical Article 5, which commits members to collective defence.
His informal chat with reporters on board Air Force One have injected tension into what was intended as a carefully choreographed show of unity, with Trump simply 'flying into another big success.'
Is this just Trump keeping his allies on their toes or a signal of deeper shifts in US foreign policy, amid concerns about the future of US military presence in Europe?
Answers may come soon, as leaders begin their discussions this morning. We should hear from Trump himself within the next hour.
We will bring you all the key lines here.
It's Wednesday, 25 June 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.