Trump confirms commitment to Article 5 at Nato summit and praises 5% defence spending pledges as ‘big news’ – Europe live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Rutte hails 5% target, defence ramp up plans; calls on Russia to end aggression on Ukraine

Rutte highlights the significance of the new 5% spending target and plans to ramp up defence production, but also mentions Ukraine in his opening remarks as he says:

Allies will also agree to further increase defence production so that our armed forces have everything they need. That means a huge expansion of our defence industrial base on both sides of the Atlantic. That’s good for our security, it’s good for our economies and good for our jobs.

Our decisions include continuing our support to Ukraine while also pushing for a just and lasting peace. We all want the bloodshed to stop. We call on Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine.

Rutte pointedly praises Trump during Nato's plenary session

Nato secretary general Rutte then says:

For too long, one ally, the United States carried too much of the burden of that commitment. And that changes. today.

Turning directly to Trump, he continues:

“President Trump, dear Donald, you made this change possible.

Your leadership on this has already produced $1 trillion in extra spending from European allies since 2016 and the decisions today will produce trillions more for our common defence to make a stronger and fairer equalising spending between America and America’s allies.”

Nato summit at 'dangerous moment' for our citizens, Rutte says

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is now opening the leaders’ session at the Nato summit.

He says:

“We meet at a dangerous moment for our one billion citizens.

Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on. An assertive grouping of adversaries seeks to divide and challenge us. There’s war in the Middle East. Terrorism poses a persistent threat, and new technologies bring opportunities, but also many serious security challenges.

In the face of this, we stand together, united in Nato, the most powerful defensive alliance in world history.

History has shown that North America and Europe working together is a winning combination. Our adversaries know this.”

By the way, you can follow the proceedings on our live stream at the top of this page and below – but, as usual, I will be bringing you all the key news lines here.

US Hegseth recognised Nato allies 'stepped up,' UK defence minister says

Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, told his Nato opposite numbers over dinner that he recognised that other members of the alliance had “really stepped up” in agreeing to a headline defence spending target of 5% of GDP.

US foreign minister Marco Rubio, left, and defence minister Pete Hegseth speak to the media during a meeting of President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at a Nato summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

The senior administration official chose to speak at the end of the informal gathering according to his British counterpart, after other ministers had spoken, to thank the other 31 allies for making a commitment that he said was “historic”.

The account of events was given by John Healey, the UK defence secretary, who said Hegseth had been listed to speak first but he “put aside his scripted speech” so he could reflect and sum up the discussion at the end.

“Essentially he was saying, what I recognise here tonight, is that Nato, you nations, have stepped up, and this 5% benchmark that we’re going to agree tomorrow is really historic,” Healey said in a briefing to journalists.

The comments will be interpreted positively by Nato allies, coming after Hegseth said in February that the US was no longer “primarily focused” on European security though all eyes remain on US president Donald Trump.

In response, Healey said “all the Nato Defence Ministers, including me” recognise that it was down to the UK and other allies “to do the hard yards now, not just in 10 years’ time” for turning the spending pledge into delivery.

As leaders take part in the official welcome photo opp with Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof and Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte, let’s go to our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh who is on the ground in The Hague for a quick update.

'We will discuss the obvious,' Trump says about his meeting with Zelenskyy

Asked about his meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump says:

We’ll discuss the obvious. We’ll discuss his difficulties. He’s got a little difficulty. Zelenskyy, he’s a nice guy. I mean, I’m going to meet him today. I don’t know. I assume we’re going to be discussing Ukraine.

He also adds:

I have spoken to Putin a lot, and he actually was very nice.

The briefing has now pivoted to Iran, with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirming there is a leak investigation into the report on the US strike on Iranian targets, and Trump claiming it put the Iranian nuclear programme back “by decades” – and Rutte praising him for the attack again.

Trump also suggests he would “sure” attack again if needed.

'We are with them all the way', Trump confirms commitment to Article 5

Asked about his commitment to Nato’s Article 5, Trump says:

We are with them all the way.

There’s a brief confusion as Trump appears to think there will be a vote on the new 5% target.

Rutte jumps in:

“Actually, today we will decide unanimously to do that’s my absolute conviction.”

Trump jokes that maybe they should talk about it “until the vote … because sometimes, you know, strange things happen,” but Rutte reassures him it’ll be fine.

Trump praises 5% GDP spending commitments as 'very big news'

US president Donald Trump is now speaking alongside Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.

He acknowledges the jump in defence spending, as he says:

“I’ve been asking them to go up to 5% for a number of years, and they’re going up to 5%, that’s a big [jump] from 2% and a lot of people didn’t even pay the 2% so I think that’s going to be a very big news.”

Responding, Rutte continues his charm offensive as he says:

I want to state it here, without President Trump, this would not have happened.

He goes on:

“With 5%, the Europeans and the Canadians will equalise their defence spending with the United States.

So this is not about American taxpayers paying more; this is about Europeans, Canadians paying more.

And again, this would not have happened [without Trump]. I’m really saying this here, and some people might criticise me, but then when I speak with them, they all say, yes, you are right.”

We ramp up spending not to do Trump favour, but because we must do more to counter Russia, German chancellor says

German chancellor Friedrich Merz focuses on the increase in spending as he says today’s decision will “provide Nato with significantly better resources in future.”

He says that member states agree that “the threat situation has changed” with Russia, and stresses that the defence spending ramp up is not “to do anyone a favour", but … based on our own conviction that Nato as a whole, and especially the European part, must do more.”

There should be no sense certain countries are free riding on defence commitment of others, Greek PM says in swipe at Spain

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also appears to take aim at Spain as he makes a very pointed remark about fairness within Nato.

He says:

I think it is very encouraging that we have all agreed to a significant increase in our defence spending. I have been a strong proponent of the need for Europe to step up our military spending and take more ownership over our own collective defence.

Greece is a country which is currently spending more than 3% on defence, and we have consistently exceeded the 2% threshold, even during the very difficult times of the economic crisis.

He adds:

The point of an alliance is to make sure that there is a fair burden sharing, and that there is no sense that certain countries are sort of free riding on the defence commitment of other countries.

So I think it is important to understand that these targets I think should be binding and they should be binding for all 32 members of the alliance.

Ouch.

'Absolutely no discussion over Article 5,' Poland's Duda says, but warns of 'real risk' of Russian attack in future

Poland’s president Andrzej Duda says “everything indicates that there is unity between Nato countries, especially on that most important issue of increasing spending.”

He also stresses the importance of supporting the eastern flank of Nato, and extending strategic pipelines across Europe, as well as the need for continued support for Ukraine.

He then says that the shift in Nato’s policy comes in response to “Russian imperialist policy” and says he’s been a long time advocate of raising the defence spending over the years.

He says there are two fundamental elements of Nato, the alliance’s unity and Article 5, and insists “there is absolutely no discussion over it.”

On Trump, he says “the position of the president of the US is the strongest in the alliance,” as he praises his leadership within Nato.

He also says that “Russia is exhausted” by its aggression of Ukraine.

“I don’t expect that Russia is ready to attack another country now, but in the future, it’s a real risk,” he says, and stresses its “absolutely necessary” to ramp up defence spending in response.

'There are no opt outs,' Belgian prime minister says in swipe at Spain

Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever comes in somewhat questioning Spain’s claim that it can reach the Nato targets by spending less than 5% of GDP on defence.

He says:

“I would like to underline that there are no opt outs whatsoever. Everybody accepts the same text. It’s a matter of interpretation. You have to do the 5% and the capabilities.

And the interpretation of Spain is that they can realise the capabilities without doing three and a half percent of the GDP. This remains to be seen.”

He then adds that more broadly the increase the core defence spending to 3.5% within the next 10 years is “realistic.”

Asked about Trump, he sidesteps that question and says:

“I don’t think it is wise to comment on that, but it is the reality that we face.

So as Europeans, we should realise that our long break from history is over and that we take have to take our own responsibility for the security of our own continent in a very difficult time.”

No concerns about Article 5, Finnish president says, as he says Nato 'goes back to roots' of deterring Russia

Finnish president Alexander Stubb also says the summit will be “historic” as he explains it marks the moment Nato “goes back to the roots of the Alliance in other words, functioning as a collective comprehensive defence system to deter Russia.”

Asked if he has any concerns about Article Five, he says:

“I do not have any concerns about that.”

Someone tries to push him further, asking how many times will he need to play golf with Trump to make him stop making ambiguous comments about Article 5.

“I don’t think President Trump is relativising Article Five and golf is a good way to discuss business.”

He then goes on to say:

I think we’re witnessing a change in the world order.

It’s very similar to the moment that we witnessed after the first world war, the second world war and the cold war.

And of course, after the first world war, we got it wrong. After the second world war, the balance was more or less right. And after the cold war, I think we got intellectually lazy.

Now we need to sort things out, understand that the time of Western dominance is over. We’re moving towards a world which is more transactional, which is more multipolar, and which is more disorderly. And this means, at least for a country like Finland that we need to have close allies, and we need to work on building up our security and defence.

Nato 'connecting the dots' at 'historic' summit, Norwegian prime minister says

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre says on arrival that “the length of this meeting is really not indicative” of its historic significance.

“We are connecting the dots in Nato by getting the resources necessary to deliver on the capabilities,” he says.

“The important part now is the percentage is set, but it’s only important if we’re able to have that translated into the capabilities, so we have to invest in the right equipment that goes together,” he says.

He adds that Norway wants Nato to look at the Arctic and the High North, as “we are the eyes and ears of Nato, next to [our] neighbour, Russia.”

He also says that “we need to be talking about [our] common effort to support Ukraine.”

Asked about how to deal with US president Donald Trump, he says it’s just important to remember we are all allies.

He ends by saying:

“I think the US is 100% behind Nato obligations and Article Five.”

Heads of state and government from 32 Nato member countries are gathering in The Hague this morning for a summit seeking to project unity and resolve in the face of growing security challenges from Russia and China.

Members of the military wearing ceremonial uniforms walk at the venue next to a Nato logo, on the day of a Nato leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

On paper, the plan is clear: formalise a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP and demonstrate that European allies are stepping up.

But, as often these days, uncertainty looms.

US president Donald Trump has already stirred some unease ahead of the summit by appearing to distance himself from Nato’s critical Article 5, which commits members to collective defence.

His informal chat with reporters on board Air Force One have injected tension into what was intended as a carefully choreographed show of unity, with Trump simply “flying into another big success.”

Is this just Trump keeping his allies on their toes or a signal of deeper shifts in US foreign policy, amid concerns about the future of US military presence in Europe?

Answers may come soon, as leaders begin their discussions this morning. We should hear from Trump himself within the next hour.

We will bring you all the key lines here.

It’s Wednesday, 25 June 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.