Trump turns NATO summit into a solo act
"Fantastic." Euphoric after the success of the Israeli–American offensive against Iran, which he described as a resounding triumph, United States President Donald Trump, exultant, presented his participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on Wednesday, June 25 as yet another accomplishment.
Trump had plenty of reasons to be pleased with how the summit unfolded. Every detail of the event was carefully tailored with one objective in mind: Don't provoke the US president, and avoid anything that might expose divisions within the Western alliance. From that perspective, the 76 th NATO summit could be counted as a success. Trump dominated it from start to finish and flew back to Washington with what he saw as a symbolic victory – the commitment from allies to raise defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
That's what mattered most to him. He could now tell his Make America Great Again (MAGA) base that he had secured what his much-criticized predecessors never could: a more equitable sharing of the burden for European security, which the United States has underwritten since World War II. In this regard, the details were secondary – how the 5% would be divided between investments and operational expenses, the vagueness around timelines and the absence of any enforcement mechanisms.
For European leaders, the outcome was far less impressive. To placate their narcissistic and unpredictable partner, they had to engage in extraordinary levels of flattery – sometimes bordering on the absurd – as in the case of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. In exchange for the 5% pledge, they managed to secure a reaffirmation in the final declaration of the "unwavering commitment to collective defense" among all allies – a nod to the enduring relevance of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. But how meaningful is that commitment coming from a US president who, even on the eve of the summit, repeatedly cast doubt on the value of Article 5?
The most troubling European concession to Washington involved Russia and Ukraine. The final declaration, stripped to the bare minimum, made no mention of Russian aggression or the ongoing war in Ukraine – glaring omissions, given Trump's refusal to hold Vladimir Putin accountable. Nor did the document include even the faintest promise that Ukraine might eventually join NATO. Compared to previous summits, this was a clear step backward. Russia was referred to only as a "long-term threat," even though it has been bombing civilian targets daily in the heart of Europe and waging hybrid warfare against NATO members.
Trump did agree to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. In a show of magnanimity, he even called the Ukrainian president "likable". But he made no commitment to continuing US military aid to the country.
Despite appearances, the Europeans found themselves effectively on their own. It now falls to them to stand tall and prepare for the concrete disengagement of the United States and the likely withdrawal of some of the 100,000 American troops stationed on the continent. They must help Ukraine continue to resist Russian aggression, coordinate their fragmented defense industries and reduce their dependency on the United States. Those 5% of GDP will have to be found, not to placate Trump, but to ensure Europe's own security.
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