NATO Chief Praises Trump for Decisive Iran Airstrikes, Defence Spending Push

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte privately congratulated President Donald Trump for his recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear targets, calling the action "truly extraordinary" and crediting Trump with achieving what no American president had in decades. Rutte praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to commit to increasing defense spending to 5% of their GDP, a key demand of Trump, which NATO members agreed upon during the summit in The Hague. Trump shared Rutte's messages publicly on his Truth Social platform ahead of the NATO summit, where Trump also worked to maintain a ceasefire between Iran and Israel despite Israeli violations. Rutte emphasized that Trump's leadership marked a pivotal moment for America, Europe, and global security, with Europe expected to contribute significantly more to defense funding. The messages highlighted Trump's role as a decisive leader in foreign policy and defense reform within NATO, while the correspondence was sent via Signal, raising concerns about official record-keeping. Trump’s negotiations and military actions have been framed as enhancing global stability and advancing NATO’s collective security goals.