Since taking on the role of NATO’s Secretary General nearly two years ago, Mark Rutte has focused on maintaining U.S. involvement in the alliance. He has attempted to ensure that U.S. President Donald Trump remains committed to NATO, using flattery as a tactic to dissuade Trump from carrying out threats to leave the alliance.
Challenges have shifted over time, complicating the situation ahead of this week’s summit in Turkey. Initially, the issue centered around defense spending. Trump has long criticized NATO allies for committing too little of their national budgets to defense. These concerns were partly addressed at last year’s summit when U.S. allies pledged to match U.S. defense spending in terms of their GDP.
The current challenge for NATO is translating those financial pledges into effective military capabilities. European countries are concerned about a potential Russian attack, emphasizing the need for tangible progress.
Last month, Rutte sought to address any lingering concerns during a White House meeting. He presented a graph labeled “Trump’s Trillion” in gold letters, highlighting $1.2 trillion in spending by European and Canadian allies since 2017.
However, Trump expressed dissatisfaction, pointing out the reluctance of some NATO allies to join his confrontation with Iran. “We don’t need their money; we just want loyalty,” he stated. Trump’s suggestion that he might not attend the upcoming summit if Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were not hosting highlights ongoing tensions. Both Erdogan and Rutte, who Trump holds in high regard, face significant challenges in managing these meetings.
Rutte set a new standard of flattery at the White House
The primary role of NATO’s senior civilian official, traditionally a European, is to build consensus and speak on behalf of the 32-member alliance. Rutte and his predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, have spent considerable energy trying to retain U.S. involvement during Trump’s presidency.
Trump’s threats to leave NATO, consider troop withdrawals, and question commitments to allies not spending enough on defense have undermined trust. Trump’s actions, such as an attempt to acquire Greenland from Denmark, further strained relationships. Rutte aimed to show that European allies are creating U.S. jobs and spending billions on military orders, presenting Trump in a positive light.
Rutte softly countered Trump’s complaint about NATO’s lack of support against Iran, noting that 5,000 U.S. aircraft took off from European bases before a ceasefire in April.
Trump’s threats to cut forces in Europe during a tense period complicate NATO’s functions.
Last month, the Pentagon announced plans to reduce troops, warships, aircraft, and drones contributed in case of an attack, surprising NATO allies. Trump’s inconsistent statements on troop levels have further strained unity within NATO.
The traditional promise of collective security, enshrined in NATO’s Article 5, has been invoked once when allies supported the U.S. after the September 11 attacks. Rutte previously hosted a successful summit in The Hague, garnering support for defense spending and leaving Trump satisfied.
This year’s summit will take place in Turkey, led by Erdogan, a key NATO figure with independent tendencies. His relationship with Trump might keep discussions on track, but it will not necessarily mend divisions.
Rutte has worked to convince Trump that increasing European defense spending allows the U.S. to focus on challenges posed by China. However, Trump’s demand for loyalty remains challenging to address.
Rutte’s predecessor, Stoltenberg, reflected on a near-crisis summit in 2018 in his memoirs. He wrote that if a U.S. president indicates a lack of commitment to defending fellow allies and walks out of a NATO summit, the treaty and security guarantees lose value.