Reuters: US President Donald Trump declined to give a clear commitment Tuesday to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, telling reporters it “depends on your definition” while traveling to a NATO summit in The Hague.
Asked about his commitment to the mutual defense provision requiring members to defend one another from attack, Trump’s response was that it “depends on your definition, there’s numerous definitions of Article Five. You know that, right?”
Pressed for clarification, Trump said: “I’m committed to saving lives. I’m committed to life and safety, and I’m going to give you an exact definition when I get there. I just don’t want to do it on the back of an airplane.”
Trump touched on financial contributions to the alliance, claiming members “weren’t paying their dues” when he first engaged with the alliance nine years ago. “Seven of the 28 … were paying their dues, but they weren’t paying very much,” he said, describing NATO as “broke” at that time.
Taking credit for increased payments, Trump said: “I said, you’re gonna have to pay and we did a whole thing, and now they’re paying a lot.”
Trump pushed for further increases to “4% or 5%” of GDP, claiming higher contributions “gives them much more power” and creates “stronger peace, better peace” through unity.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told Trump in a message Tuesday that all alliance members agreed to 5% defense spending targets.
The American president expressed a commitment to alliance relationships, saying: “I’m committed to being their friends, and I become friends with many of those leaders.”
Separately, Trump said on Truth Social he is on his way to the NATO summit “where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran.”
He said he looks forward to meeting his allies, adding: “Hopefully, much will be accomplished!”
