Trump pledges ironclad NATO support, draws praise from European allies “No NATO country will face Russian attack on my watch”

US President Donald Trump offered firm assurances to European allies during the NATO summit, vowing that Russia would not pose a threat to any NATO country while he remained in office.

According to The Washington Post, which cited several European officials, Trump’s message was received with praise and a surprising degree of personal admiration from fellow leaders.

During the summit, many NATO leaders expressed appreciation for Trump’s insistence on boosting European defence spending. Some also commended him for his recent military actions against Iran. As The Post notes, several European leaders “embraced the flattery that they have learned is a highly effective way to Trump’s heart.”

Trump, who once threatened to pull the US out of NATO, gave his most emphatic endorsement yet of the alliance and its mission, describing the meetings as transformative. “These people really love their countries,” he told reporters. “It’s not a rip-off, and we’re here to help them.”

Reflecting on the summit’s tone, Trump added: “I watched the heads of these countries get up, and the love and the passion that they showed for their country was unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was great. And I left here differently. I left here saying that these people really love their countries. It’s not a rip-off, and we’re here to help them protect their country.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also praised Trump, particularly for his role in escalating pressure on Iran and then helping broker a ceasefire between Tehran and Israel.

Rutte likened Trump’s approach to handling two schoolboys fighting in a playground. “Daddy has to sometimes do strong language,” Rutte said during a bilateral meeting on Огту 25. Interrupting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rutte added, “This president, when it comes to it, yes, he is a man of peace, but if necessary, he is willing to use strength.”

Throughout the summit, European officials appeared to go out of their way to flatter the US president. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda even proposed adopting a Trump-style slogan: “I think we should choose the motto ‘Make NATO Great Again,’” he said, noting that Lithuania would increase its defence budget to 4 per cent of GDP this year and exceed 5 per cent next year — figures well above NATO’s baseline.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to President Donald Trump,” Nausėda added. “Because without his engagement, I would imagine we would discuss the level of 2.5 per cent, with no clear positive outcome. Probably those discussions would lead to nothing.”

By Tamilla Hasanova