U.S. President Donald Trump has posted screenshots of private text messages from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in which the former Dutch prime minister aped Trump’s writing style and showered the American leader with praise for “decisive action in Iran.” The messages, which Rutte reportedly drafted in Trump’s style, include comments about Europe “paying BIG” and a NATO spokesperson confirming their authenticity.
Trump published the screenshots, widely seen as deeply embarrassing for the NATO chief, on his Truth Social platform ahead of the military bloc’s two-day NATO summit in The Hague, which started on Tuesday. The summit, which brought together NATO leaders, aimed to address pressing issues such as increased military spending and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Rutte, who has long advocated for NATO members to more-than-double their military spending to 5% of GDP, expressed confidence in achieving significant spending goals at the summit. In his messages, Rutte boasted to Trump that “Europe is going to pay BIG” and anticipated “another big success” at The Hague summit, stating that all NATO members had agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense.
“You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” he proclaimed. A NATO spokesperson has reportedly confirmed to the BBC that the text is authentic, highlighting the significance of this public exchange between the U.S. president and the NATO chief.
Rutte is backing Trump’s controversial demands that NATO members more-than-double their military spending, a stance that has faced resistance, particularly from Spain. Spain has reportedly opted out of the 5% spending target, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejecting the idea as “not only unreasonable but also counterproductive.” Madrid is currently below the 2% spending threshold, with only about 1.3% of its GDP allocated for the military. Rutte, however, told journalists that NATO rules do not allow such exemptions.
The incident has sparked a flurry of reactions and discussions within both NATO and the broader international community, with implications for the future of transatlantic relations and military spending commitments. As the summit progresses, the outcomes will be closely watched for their impact on global security and NATO’s strategic direction.