Big DADDY " Trump meets a different NATO at the Hague in sharp contrast to the one in 2017 - NATO pleased him by affirming they would spend 5% of their GDP by 2035 on their defense needs and Trump walked into Hague with head held high after the spectacular bombing on Iran destroying its nuclear facilities

US President Donald Trump leaves Hague off the NATO summit on a high note – NATO countries are in awe of him after the Iran attack – How perceptions change from 2017 to 2025  An Analysis  

By TN Ashok.       Washington, June 28 , 2025  

US President Donald Trump went for the Hague meeting of NATO leaders on a high note to a hero’s welcome where the member countries embraced him in sharp contrast to the embarrassment, he caused them a few years ago when he threatened to walk out of the European dominated military alliance and defund them. 

On both sides there had been a major shift. Trump was peeved that the US was putting monies into the NATO alliance and many countries in the 32-member bloc were not even spending 2% of their GDP on defense an wanted to ride piggyback on the US to meet its defense needs. 

Trump walked into Hague with his head held high fresh from the spectacular bombings of Iran where he had claimed to have obliterated the nuclear facilities of Iran. This was welcome news for the European bloc which was afraid of Russia making a move against them after the Ukraine war and Iran was its ally supplying arms and soldiers.  

When Trump was angry with the NATO leaders, led by Germany they had started drawing up their own plans for defense to tackle Russia, in case it came to its borders in Poland, and also increased their defense spending to 5% from 2% which was to the satisfaction of Trump.  

So both sides had good news to share with each other. So change of perceptions from the first term of Trump in 2017 to 2025 in his second term. 

 Trump’s relationship with NATO has been marked by significant shifts, leading to changes in how both he and the alliance perceive each other.  

Initially, during his first presidential campaign and early in his first term, Trump frequently criticized NATO, calling it "obsolete" and accusing member nations of not contributing enough to defense spending. He argued that the United States was bearing a disproportionate financial burden, and he questioned the value of the alliance, even suggesting the possibility of US withdrawing from the alliance and defunding it. This initial stance generated considerable tension and concern among NATO allies.  

However, over time, a notable change occurred. While still emphasizing the need for increased defense spending, Trump's public statements and actions regarding NATO evolved.  

Key aspects of this shift included: 

NATO members increasing defense spending: Prompted by Trump's persistent pressure and concerns about a rising Russia, NATO members have significantly increased their defense spending. Notably, at a recent summit, NATO allies agreed to a new target of spending 5% of their GDP on defense by 2035, a substantial increase from the previous 2% target. This development has been seen as a significant win for Trump, who has taken credit for driving this change. 

Trump's shift in tone: After years of contentious rhetoric, Trump has recently expressed a more positive view of the alliance, even embracing it after the increase in defense spending commitments. For instance, he stated that he left a recent NATO summit "differently," believing that the alliance was not a "rip-off" and that allies were committed to their own defense. 

Reaffirmation of collective defense: Despite earlier ambiguities, NATO allies reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of collective defense, enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all. This reaffirmation, particularly Trump's explicit support, aimed to alleviate concerns about the US commitment to the alliance. 

NATO's strategic adjustments: NATO leaders, particularly Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, have actively sought to manage the relationship with Trump, using strategic communication and engagement to address his concerns and secure his support for the alliance. This included highlighting the increased defense spending and strategically managing summit agendas.  

In essence, while the relationship remains dynamic and potentially subject to change, the perception of each other has shifted. Trump, having seen a tangible outcome in increased defense spending, now expresses a more positive view of NATO. Meanwhile, NATO, while adapting to US demands and strategic shifts, has also demonstrated its resilience and ability to navigate challenges, in part due to effective leadership within the alliance. 

Trump embraces NATO security alliance after years of attacks 

“It’s not a rip-off,” Trump said of NATO after its 32 nations agreed to more than double their defense spending targets, which has been a sore spot for the U.S. president and  

President Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement of NATO and its defense mission after a summit of alliance leaders Wednesday; in his most forceful backing of a group, he once threatened to abandon. “These people really love their countries,” Trump told reporters. “It’s not a rip-off, and we’re here to help them.” 

Diverse from the tension packed  moments of Trump’s first term, much of the annual summit in The Hague centred around the impulses and worldviews of the Republican president whose “America First” foreign policy ethos downplayed  the importance and influence of multilateral coalitions, media reports said in an analysis of his visit. 

 

President Donald Trump, right, speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a group photo of NATO heads of state and government at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) 

Trump spent less than 24 hours with his boots on the ground in Hague, returning to Washington with a sense of satisfaction that he had managed to secure the military alliances commitment to spend at least 5% of their GDP on their defense needs instead of draining US resources.  

In his first term, President Trump had accused the alliance of freeloading off the United States. The focus on Ukraine was scaled back dramatically, with its invasion by Russia earning only a passing mention in the summit’s official statement, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s profile at the gathering diminished. 

Trump also sent NATO scattering for reassurances that the United States would remain committed to the alliance’s mutual defense pledge, affirming on Wednesday that he would abide by Article 5 of the NATO treaty just a day after he rattled the 32-nation alliance by being equivocal about the pact. 

“I stand with it. That’s why I’m here,” Trump said when asked to clarify his stance on Article 5. “If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.” 

Trump shifts his tone on NATO 

Trump later told a news conference that he felt inspired by the NATPO leaders who had felt motivated to provide for their own defense by boosting their own spending on defense needs.  

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, from left, President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose with NATO country leaders for a family photo during the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Ben Stansall/Pool Photo via AP) 

“They want to protect their country, and they need the United States, and without the United States, it’s not going to be the same,” Trump said, later adding: “I left here differently. I -- I left here saying, ‘These people really love their countries. It’s not a rip-off.’ And we are here to help them protect their country.” He had mused just a day earlier that whether he abides by the treaty “depends on your definition” of Article 5. 

The mutual praise in The Hague on Wednesday stood in stark contrast to Trump’s previous harsh words for the alliance, whose value he had long questioned. It also reflected the efforts made by other world leaders during the early months of Trump’s second term to approach the mercurial president using his own language of superlatives and flattery. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer showed up to the Oval Office in February to hand-deliver an invitation from King Charles III for a second state visit, which Starmer called “unprecedented.” Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has promised to “make the West great again,” echoing Trump’s campaign slogan. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte wrote in a message to “Mr. President, dear Donald” that his push for increased alliance defense spending would help “achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.” 

Trump gets a win on spending increase 

The 32 leaders endorsed a final summit statement saying: “Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.” 

“I’ve been asking them to go up to 5% for a number of years,” Trump said earlier in the day as he met with Rutte, whose private message of praise the U.S. president posted on his Truth Social account. 

Spain had already officially announced that it cannot meet the target, and others had voiced reservations. Trump sounded peeved by Spain’s decision and said he’d have the country make up for it by paying higher tariffs to the United States as part of a trade deal. 

Spain belongs to the European Union, the world’s largest trading bloc, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of all 27 member countries. They are not meant to negotiate trade deals individually. 

NATO members took pains to please Trump who had all the cards.  

Trump’s turn at this year’s summit came eight years after his NATO debut in 2017, a gathering that was perhaps most remembered by his shove of Dusko Markovic, the prime minister of Montenegro, as the U.S. president jostled toward the front of the pack of world leaders during a NATO headquarters tour. 

But the atmosphere around Trump this week seemed far chummier than in past years. 

The president was offered — and accepted — the chance to sleep Tuesday night at the Dutch royal palace. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, Trump said, were “beautiful people, great people, big, beautiful heart.” 

Meanwhile, Rutte referred to Trump as a “daddy” who “has to sometimes use strong language” to stop a conflict between two warring entities — an analogy that the secretary-general used on the war between Israel and Iran. 

“Doesn’t he deserve some praise?” Rutte said later at his own news conference when asked whether his use of “daddy” for Trump made him appear weak. Few may have gone as far as Rutte, who has maintained a good relationship with Trump since the U.S. president returned to office, but other world leaders found alternate ways to genofluct with Trump. 

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, as he advocated for the increase in defense spending by NATO allies, riffed on Trump’s campaign rally cry. “We should choose a motto: ‘Make NATO great again,’” he said. 

Asked about Rutte’s behavior toward Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, “I didn’t find it obsequious.” “I expressed it a bit more soberly in my words, but of course it is and remains true that it was only this U.S. administration — in combination with the war in Ukraine — that prompted us to decide what we decided today,” said Merz. 

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