On Wednesday, President Donald Trump will meet with leaders of a NATO alliance he has spent years trying to reshape according to his vision—an effort that has left many allies uneasy, especially following his recent remarks questioning America’s commitment to collective defense.
Speaking en route to the Netherlands, Trump said his adherence to Article 5—the core NATO principle of mutual defense—”depends on your definition,” a statement that is expected to draw significant attention during the summit. Also under scrutiny will be the delicate Iran-Israel ceasefire Trump helped broker after U.S. airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, NATO is preparing to adopt one of Trump’s longstanding demands: increased defense spending from its members, in some cases sharply.
“NATO was broke, and I told them, ‘You need to pay,’” Trump said on Tuesday. “We got that started, and now they’re paying more. Then I told them, ‘You need to raise it to 4% or 5%, and 5% is even better.’”
