United States President Donald Trump finished up his attendance at the first year of the NATO summit on Wednesday, which felt more relaxed than his initial meeting.
In the Hague, the annual NATO gathering seemed to align more with Trump’s “America First” approach, which often puts less importance on teamwork with other countries. After spending less than a day in the Netherlands, Trump returned to Washington with a significant achievement: he got many NATO countries to agree to spend more on their own defense, responding to his long-standing criticism that they rely too heavily on the United States.
At the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s was absent, and the discussion about Ukraine was also noticeably less.
Trump assured NATO leaders that the U.S. would continue to honor its commitment to protect its allies. “I stand with it. That’s why I’m here,” he said, referring to a key part of the NATO agreement that promises mutual defense.
NATO leaders agreed to a new goal: committing to spend 5% of their economies on defense by the year 2035. Trump has been pushing for increased spending for years, and he expressed his frustration over Spain’s announcement that it couldn’t meet this target, suggesting they should compensate with higher tariffs on trade. This NATO summit came eight years after Trump’s first appearance in 2017.
But this NATO summit atmosphere felt much friendlier than the previous meeting. Trump even accepted the invitation to stay overnight at the Dutch royal palace. He praised King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, describing them as “beautiful people, great people, big, beautiful heart.”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte likened Trump to a “daddy” figure who sometimes needs to be tough to resolve conflicts. Rutte faced questions about whether this made him seem weak but defended his words, suggesting that Trump deserves recognition for his actions. Overall, NATO leaders went out of their way to maintain a welcoming environment for Trump during this summit.
This week, the mood surrounding Trump felt notably friendlier than in previous years.