During a high-stakes NATO summit in The Hague, President Donald Trump declared that Russia would not attack any NATO member while he remains President of the United States. The bold statement, reported by The Washington Post, marks a significant shift in Trump’s tone toward the alliance and came amid growing security concerns across Europe.
According to European officials present at the closed-door summit, Trump’s exact words were that “Russia would never attack NATO so long as I was president.” The assurance was made during the opening session of the summit, attended by leaders from all 32 NATO member states. It follows Trump’s recent ambiguous comments about the interpretation of Article 5—the collective defense clause of the NATO treaty—which had triggered alarm among allies.
Just a day before the summit, while en route to the Netherlands, Trump told reporters that support under Article 5 “depends on your definition,” causing speculation over whether the U.S. would honor its mutual defense commitments. However, Trump appeared to backtrack at the summit, offering a strong, direct guarantee of deterrence against Russia.
The summit itself is centered around NATO’s latest defense initiative, with member states moving to adopt a new target of spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035. Trump has long criticized European allies for what he sees as underfunding their military budgets. He used the occasion to reinforce this stance, reportedly telling fellow leaders: “Stop worrying, start investing.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, echoed Trump’s comments, stating that the U.S. commitment to the alliance remains “ironclad,” but insisted that Europe must now “do its part.”
Trump’s remarks come amid heightened geopolitical tensions following continued Russian aggression in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Leaders from Baltic states, Poland, and others close to Russia’s borders welcomed the president’s statement but emphasized the need for concrete actions to match words.
Security analysts say the president’s strong language may help reassure European allies and solidify deterrence. However, they also caution that the lack of formal clarification on Article 5 leaves open the risk of confusion in the event of a crisis.
