Trump Hails ’Historic NATO Deal, Allies Agree to Hike Defense Funds

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump took a victory lap at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, as allies agreed to significantly increase defense spending, marking a major foreign policy win for the former president.

Trump, eager to claim credit, hailed the agreement by all 32 NATO member states to work toward spending five percent of GDP on defense, calling it “a great victory for everybody.”

In a show of unity aimed at deterring Russia, Trump joined other leaders in reaffirming NATO’s core commitment to collective defense under Article Five, declaring that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

The final summit declaration described this promise as "ironclad".

Behind closed doors, diplomats said Trump emphasized the US leadership role and urged allies to use their increased budgets to buy American-made weapons.

The deal represents a compromise: while allowing Trump to celebrate a win, it offers flexibility to European nations facing financial constraints.

Under the agreement, members will aim to reach 3.5% of GDP in direct defense spending by 2035, with an additional 1.5% directed toward broader security areas like critical infrastructure.

NATO leaders lined up to describe the agreement as "historic", Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remarked that Europe’s “long break from history” was over and that the continent must now take ownership of its defense in a time of heightened geopolitical tension.

The summit was carefully choreographed to keep Trump engaged, from reducing the length of formal sessions to offering him accommodations at the royal palace.

However, Trump stirred uncertainty when he told reporters that the definition of NATO’s mutual defense clause “depends on your definition,” raising eyebrows among allies.

However, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte reassured reporters that Trump remained “totally committed” to Article Five, a pledge that was clearly reaffirmed in the summit’s final statement.

The war in Ukraine loomed large over the summit. While the final communique used more cautious language than in past years, it identified Moscow as a "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security" and included provisions for supporting Ukraine using funds from the new defense commitments.