From Funding to Fidelity: U.S. Pressures NATO Ahead of Turkey Summit

Since assuming the role of NATO secretary‑general nearly two years ago, Mark Rutte has devoted considerable effort to keeping the United States committed to the alliance, using outright flattery to dissuade President Donald Trump from following through on threats to withdraw.

Yet the expectations continue to shift, heightening the stakes ahead of this week’s summit in Turkey.

Initially, the focus was on financial contributions. President Trump has long criticized NATO allies for allocating too small a share of their national budgets to defense. Those concerns were largely addressed at last year’s summit, when allies pledged to match U.S. defense spending as a share of GDP.

NATO’s current challenge is converting those funds into usable military capabilities, especially as European members grow increasingly concerned about a potential Russian attack.

Still, Rutte sought to dispel lingering doubts during a White House meeting last month, presenting a new chart titled “The Trump Trillion” in gold lettering that documented $1.2 trillion in defense spending by European allies and Canada since 2017.

However, Trump remained unmoved, expressing continued disappointment that certain NATO allies had declined to join the Iran conflict he initiated alongside Israel without prior consultation.

“We don’t need their money—we don’t need anything,” Trump said. “I just want loyalty.”

Trump hinted he might have skipped the summit altogether if it were not being hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, indicating that even leaders he respects—Erdoğan and Rutte—face a tough task keeping the meeting on course.

Rutte Raises the Bar for Flattery at the White House

Historically, the primary duties of NATO’s top civilian official—always a European, never an American—have been to foster consensus within an organization that decides unanimously and to speak on behalf of all 32 member nations.

However, during both of Trump’s presidential terms, Rutte and his predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, have devoted enormous energy simply to keeping the United States within the alliance.

Trump has threatened to withdraw from NATO, toyed with the idea of pulling U.S. troops out of Europe, and pledged to seize Greenland—a semi‑autonomous territory of ally Denmark. He has also questioned whether he would defend an ally that underspends on defense, undermining trust.

Rutte’s strategy has relied heavily on flattery. Last month’s meticulously staged Oval Office presentation—complete with props evoking the American flag—set a new benchmark, even for someone who has previously likened Trump to a “daddy.”

The charts highlighted the creation of tens of thousands of U.S. jobs and a $300 billion backlog of European orders for military equipment—all, according to Rutte, thanks to the “leader of the free world.”

He gently countered Trump’s claim that NATO had not supported the United States against Iran, noting that as many as 5,000 U.S. aircraft had launched from European bases before the April cease‑fire.

Trump’s Threat to Withdraw Forces From Europe Comes at a Critical Juncture

NATO cannot operate effectively without its largest and most powerful ally. Europe is being compelled to fend for itself even as Russia, the original impetus for the alliance, presents an escalating threat.

Last month, the Pentagon startled NATO allies by announcing a reduction in the troop, warship, aircraft, and drone commitments it would pledge should an ally come under attack. Trump has also delivered mixed signals regarding whether U.S. troop levels will be cut or raised.

These cutbacks and contradictory messages have eroded alliance unity, even as Russia has been testing Europe’s defenses with drone flights near military bases in several countries, according to a study released on Thursday.

Flattery Succeeded Last Year, but New Obstacles Have Emerged

Each summit is intended to demonstrate the alliance’s commitment to collective security—the all‑for‑one, one‑for‑all principle enshrined in Article 5 of NATO’s treaty. That provision has been activated only once, when allies rallied to the United States after the September 11 attacks.

The previous NATO summit took place in The Hague, Rutte’s hometown and former Dutch premiership. The Dutch royal family hosted a dinner, and Trump spent the night at the king’s palace.

Rutte secured the allies’ backing for a significant defense‑spending commitment, and Trump departed satisfied, describing his NATO partners as a “nice group of people.”

This year’s summit will be hosted by Erdoğan, another pivotal NATO member known for his independent streak. His close relationship with Trump may keep the U.S. president engaged, but it is unlikely to heal the existing divisions.

Rutte has attempted to persuade Trump that European allies are contributing so substantially that the United States can safely shift focus to security challenges from China while they manage the war in Ukraine.

Yet Trump now demands more, and his call for “loyalty” resists easy quantification on any chart.

Rutte’s predecessor, Stoltenberg, recounted in his memoir how chairing the 2018 summit almost saw Trump derail the proceedings.

“If an American president declares he no longer wishes to defend the other allies and walks out of a NATO summit in protest, then the NATO treaty and its security guarantee lose much of their value,” Stoltenberg wrote.

This story was reported by the Associated Press.

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