Trump rattles Nato allies over Article Five clause as he descends on summit
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US President Donald Trump arriving for a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander on June 24, ahead of the two-day Nato summit in the Netherlands.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
- Trump attended the NATO summit, where allies pledged to increase defence spending. NATO hopes this commitment will keep Trump engaged in the alliance.
- NATO countries agreed to dedicate 3.5% of GDP to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5% to broader security areas to deter Russia and appease Trump.
- Despite spending pledges, divisions persist over the war in Ukraine. Zelensky seeks weapons and sanctions against Russia, while NATO avoids discussing Ukraine's membership.
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THE HAGUE - US President Donald Trump swept into Nato’s Hague summit on June 24, with allies hoping a pledge to ramp up defence spending will keep the mercurial leader of the military superpower committed to protecting them.
Mr Trump joined leaders from Nato’s 31 other members to kick off the two-day gathering with a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander in the ornate Orange Hall at his royal residence.
The alliance hopes to keep Mr Trump bound to its mutual defence vow by meeting his demand for a headline figure of 5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence spending.
But Mr Trump refused to say he was committed to Nato’s Article Five clause and protecting Europe in comments that will likely rattle his counterparts on the continent.
“Depends on your definition. There’s numerous definitions of Article Five,” Mr Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One. “I’m committed to being their friend.”
To keep Mr Trump on board, Nato’s 32 countries have thrashed out a compromise deal to dedicate 3.5 per cent to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5 per cent to broader security-related areas such as cyber security and infrastructure.
Nato says the military build-up is crucial to deter Russia, which officials warn is rapidly rebuilding its forces depleted by the war in Ukraine and could be ready to attack the alliance in five years.
But it is just as important for keeping Mr Trump engaged as Washington warns it may shift forces from Europe to face the threat from China.
“They’re going to be lifting it to 5 per cent, that’s good,” Mr Trump said. “It gives them much more power.”
But while the promise of more spending could win Mr Trump over, deep divisions remain over the approach to Europe’s key security issue: Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Mr Trump said he would probably meet the pair’s infamous Oval Office bust-up.
‘Radical uncertainty’
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told an audience in The Hague that Nato’s “historic” spending pledge showed that “the Europe of defence has finally awakened”.
Alliance leaders meanwhile – many of whom are struggling to find the money that will be required – lined up to argue that the threats facing the continent required bold steps.
“We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in announcing the UK’s commitment to meet the target.
Powerhouse Germany announced plans to hit the 3.5 per cent figure for core defence needs by 2029 – six years before the timeline.
At the other end of the scale, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has risked Mr Trump’s ire by insisting his country does not have to meet the 5 per cent target.
US President Donald Trump (front row, fourth from left) posing for a photo with fellow Nato leaders, as well as the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, at the Nato summit on June 24.
PHOTO: AFP
For its part, the Kremlin attacked Nato for its “rampant militarisation”, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: “This is the reality that surrounds us.”
Trump-Zelensky meeting
Since storming back to power, Mr Trump has upended the West’s approach to the three-year conflict by turning his back on Kyiv and opening the door to closer ties with Moscow.
Mr Zelensky was set to play less of a central role than at recent Nato gatherings and will not attend the main working session.
But the Ukrainian President said he would discuss with Mr Trump about buying a package of weapons made up mainly of air defences.
Mr Zelensky would also push Mr Trump on imposing new sanctions on Russia as Moscow has stalled peace efforts being pressed by Washington, Kyiv said.
“There are no signs that Putin wants to stop this war. Russia rejects all peace proposals including those from the US. Putin only thinks about war,” the Ukrainian leader told a defence forum held alongside the summit.
Nato chief Mark Rutte said allies would send the message that support for Kyiv was “unwavering and will persist”.
But despite his insistence that Ukraine’s bid for membership remains “irreversible”, Nato will avoid any mention of Kyiv’s push to join after Mr Trump ruled it out. AFP
