NATO summit in The Hague | “Europe is going to pay”: Trump embarrasses NATO chief with private text message – What else could happen today? – Image: Xpert.Digital
NATO Summit 2025: How Trump is putting European allies in a tight spot
Tensions run high in The Hague: Trump demands more money from European NATO partners
The NATO summit in The Hague on June 24 and 25, 2025, is entirely dominated by US President Donald Trump and his pressure on European allies. The summit was strategically planned to curry favor with Trump and avoid major conflicts, while simultaneously pushing through his key demands.
Related to this:
A shortened agenda and tailored diplomacy
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliberately designed the summit as a "Donald Trump summit" to keep the US president happy. The agenda was reduced to a minimum: just a single two-and-a-half-hour working session on Wednesday, whereas NATO summits usually last considerably longer. This shortening was intended to prevent Trump from leaving early, as he had at the last G7 meeting.
Trump received royal treatment during the summit, staying overnight at Huis ten Bosch Palace as a guest of the Dutch royal couple, where Queen Elizabeth II and Bill Clinton had previously stayed. The dinner with the Dutch king on Tuesday evening was also part of the strategy to curry favor with Trump.
The 5 percent target as Trump's main success
The central point of the summit was the agreement on a massive increase in defense spending from the current two percent to five percent of gross domestic product by 2035. At least 3.5 percent is to be used for traditional military expenditures, while 1.5 percent can be allocated to defense-related infrastructure such as tank-compatible bridges, railway lines and ports.
Even before the summit, Trump had made it clear that this new spending target would not apply to the US, which already spends 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense. "I think they should do it. I don't think we should," Trump said, explaining that Washington had "borne almost 100 percent of the costs.".
Spain as a disruptive factor and Trump's criticism
A particular point of contention arose concerning Spain, whose Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the 5 percent target as "unacceptable" and incompatible with the welfare state. Trump sharply criticized Spain, calling its stance "unfair" to other NATO partners. On his flight to The Hague, Trump posted a graphic of defense spending on Truth Social, in which Spain ranked at the very bottom.
Ultimately, a solution was found: NATO Secretary General Rutte gave Spain written assurances that the country would not have to meet the 5 percent target if it could provide the required military capabilities with less money. Furthermore, a review of the target was agreed upon for 2029.
Publication of private text messages and self-promotion
Particularly noteworthy was Trump's publication of a private text message from NATO Secretary General Rutte on Truth Social. In the message, Rutte wrote: "Donald, you have truly brought us to a very, very important moment for America, Europe, and the world. You are going to accomplish what NO US president has done for decades." The text ended with the words in all caps: "Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.".
This publication underlined Trump's position of power and showed how NATO leadership was prepared to publicly court him in order to secure his support for the alliance.
Doubts about Article 5 and NATO commitment
Despite all efforts at appeasement, Trump continued to sow doubt about America's commitment to the mutual defense clause of the NATO treaty. On his flight to The Hague, he questioned whether he felt bound by Article 5, saying, "It depends on how you define Article 5." These remarks heightened uncertainty about the true extent of the US commitment to NATO.
Ukraine pushed to the margins
Another aspect of Trump's pressure was the marginalization of Ukraine. Unlike at previous NATO summits, Ukraine played only a minor role. Under Trump's pressure, the final declaration omitted any commitments to Ukraine's accession to the NATO treaty, and no new arms deliveries or financial pledges were agreed upon. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy was not invited to the actual working sessions on Wednesday.
Successful show of force
Ultimately, the summit can be seen as a successful show of force by Trump. He achieved his main goal – increasing European defense spending – while simultaneously forcing NATO partners to bow to his will. The “great Trump appeasement show” in The Hague clearly demonstrated that European allies were prepared to make significant concessions to keep the US in the alliance.
The summit marked a turning point in NATO history, replacing the traditional partnership with a relationship in which Trump dictated the terms and the Europeans submitted to them in order not to lose the American security guarantee.
Related to this:
Consulting - Planning - Implementation
Markus Becker
I would be happy to serve as your personal advisor.
Head of Business Development
Chairman SME Connect Defense Working Group
Hub for Security and Defense - Advice and Information
Hub for Security and Defense - Image: Xpert.Digital
The Security and Defence Hub offers expert advice and up-to-date information to effectively support companies and organizations in strengthening their role in European security and defence policy. Working closely with the SME Connect Defence Working Group, it particularly promotes small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that wish to further develop their innovative capacity and competitiveness in the defence sector. As a central point of contact, the Hub thus creates a crucial bridge between SMEs and European defence strategy.
Related to this:
