President Donald Trump and his top officials, including Rubio and Hegseth, are in The Netherlands where they are defending this past weekend's strikes on Iran nuclear facilities. They are praising the B-2 bomber raid and execution of the pilots and all involved as having demolished the country's atomic capabilities.
Trump has achieved his vision of a massive defense spending boost, as on Wednesday the alliance has formally committed to a 5% of GDP spending goal over the next decade, with Secretary Rutte having earlier proclaimed 'no opt-outs' - aimed particularly at Spain and others - and further the US President has pledged that 'we're with NATO all the way.' For now, Trump seems mostly in the mood to defend his Iran attack, and proclaim the total destruction of the Islamic Republic's core nuclear program, in the face of a skeptical US and European press. He's expected to speak at the close of Wednesday's summit. WATCH LIVE:
Some developments from the ongoing NATO summit:
NATO's 32 leaders proclaim: “Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defence-and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.”
AP: Many European countries face major economic challenges, and Trump’s global tariff war could make it even harder for Washington’s NATO allies to reach defense spending levels of 5% of their GDP.
BBG: President Trump disputed an early intelligence report from the Pentagon that found the airstrikes he ordered on Iran had only a limited impact on its nuclear program. The attacks caused “total obliteration,” he said, while satellite imagery fails to provide conclusive evidence of deep penetration.
BBG: And in a surprise announcement that appears to undermine years of US sanctions on Iran, Trump gave China the green light to buy Iranian oil.
Hungarian PM: ‘Ukraine is not in NATO, my job is to keep it that way,’ Orbán tells press outside NATO summit
AP: NATO leader praises Trump’s involvement in Iran-Israel war in private text: En route to The Hague yesterday, Trump posted a screenshot of a message sent to him by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, which read, “Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer.”
Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday found that Trump's strikes on Iran only set back the country's nuclear program by months.
AP on Trump's response: Trump said media outlets were “disgusting” for reporting on the assessment, describing them as “very unfair to the pilots, who risked their lives for our country.”
Trump on Article 5: “I stand with it, that’s why I’m here,” Trump said as he met with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. “If I didn’t stand with it I wouldn’t be here.”
PBS: “There’s numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right?” Trump said. “But I’m committed to being their friends.” He signaled that he would give a more precise definition of what Article 5 means to him once he was at the summit.
Many developments being announced at the summit are fully expected and were long previewed, but the big wild-card as usual will be Trump's live comments to the press and to officials gathered.
President Trump also on Wednesday has met with Ukraine's President Zelensky, and likely discussed new anti-Moscow sanctions and the purchase of a new weapons purchase. Trump has exhibited coolness toward the Ukrainian leader of late, and this is perhaps why Zelensky is dressed to impress, having actually shown up in a suit this time.
