Trump sends Putin seven-word NATO warning in big blow for Kremlin

 

One of the Kremlin’s main objectives has been to weaken NATO’s collective defence commitment under Article 5 by stoking divisions between European allies and the Trump administration.

But Donald Trump appears to have frustrated Vladimir Putin’s hopes of driving a wedge through the alliance as NATO leaders gather for a summit in The Hague. For years, the Russian president has viewed NATO as an existential threat and condemned its eastward expansion, citing Ukraine’s aspirations to join the alliance as justification for his brutal invasion.

Article 5, NATO’s cornerstone, declares that an attack on one member is an attack on all. The Kremlin has repeatedly tried to undermine this pledge by exploiting friction within the alliance.

Putin seemed to gain ground when Trump signalled his administration might reconsider its position on Article 5. Asked aboard Air Force One whether the U.S. would uphold its obligations, Trump replied, “Depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends.”

However, in a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, Trump was more definitive, delivering a setback to Putin by affirming the U.S. commitment: “We are with them all the way.”

At the summit in the Netherlands, NATO leaders are expected to agree to increase defence spending to 5% of their nations’ GDP, marking what they describe as a “historic” shift.

During a somewhat bizarre moment in The Hague, Rutte referred to Trump as “Daddy” in a press conference.

Trump has long criticised European NATO members for not contributing enough and relying too heavily on U.S. support. He previously suggested he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO countries that fail to pay their share of defence costs.

In his opening remarks, Rutte acknowledged that the imbalance could no longer continue: “For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden. That changes today.”

Trump, in turn, called the outcome “a great victory for everybody, I think. We will be equalised shortly, and that’s the way it has to be.”