SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Less than $3 per week View Profile The Explainer Talking Points The Week Recommends Newsletters From the Magazine The Week Junior Food & Drink Personal Finance All Categories Newsletter sign up today's big question Can Nato keep Donald Trump happy? Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap Newsletter sign up Trump touched down in The Hague in a self-congratulatory mood, which most Nato leaders are unlikely to want to puncture (Image credit: Remko De Waal / ANP / AFP via Getty Images) The Week UK 25 June 2025 Donald Trump arrived at this year's annual gathering of Nato leaders fresh from brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. While the US president comes looking to brandish his credentials as a peacemaker, for European officials the goal of the summit is "simple", said Politico: "keep it short, keep it smooth – and keep Donald Trump from blowing it up." But Nato leaders are bracing for the president "to redefine the alliance's mutual defence pact, amid concern that he will water down US security commitments that have protected Europe for eight decades", said the Financial Times. Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. What did the commentators say? Trump touched down in The Hague in a "self-congratulatory mood, which most Nato leaders are unlikely to want to puncture", said Dan Sabbagh, The Guardian's defence and security editor. If fact, everything seems geared towards winning over the US president. Nato's Secretary General Mark Rutte "designed this summit around Trump", said BBC Europe editor Katya Adler. To "flatter him" he has managed to build consensus amongst members for "massive hikes in defence spending, to show that Europeans would now take more responsibility for their own security". By keeping the meeting "narrowly focused on money," he hopes to "avoid any potential clashes or outbursts between Trump and his allies". But the president has sparked alarm by telling reporters that Washington's commitment to Nato's Article 5, which refers to its mutual defence pact, "depends on your definition". "I'm committed to being their friends," he said en route. "I'm going to give you an exact definition when I get there." These comments have cast a shadow over the proceedings with one Nato official telling the FT: "The summit rests on what Trump decides. We are all just sat here waiting for him to tell us if he will defend Europe." More "pomp and glamour" has been added to a schedule that has been "carefully tailored to keep him happy", said The Telegraph. There was "even talk of slotting in a round of golf on Tuesday, although the abbreviated plan means that has been jettisoned". "They want this to be a good experience for President Trump, a warm pat on the back for the way he's handled Israel and Iran, and a commitment to defence spending," said Kurt Volker, the former US ambassador to Nato. "They're hoping that this, by being short, sweet and positive, President Trump comes away with a more positive view of Nato." On the big takeaway from the summit – the commitment for Nato countries to increase core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 – Trump can rightly claim victory. On this, at least, he is correct that "Europe needs to become more self-sufficient", said The Washington Post. Though the US commitment to the alliance "should remain iron-clad, Washington must also make major investments in other theatres", as the recent strike on Iran and rising threat of China has shown. But for all of Trump's chutzpah the biggest issue facing Nato – Ukraine – remains unresolved. "Concerns from earlier this year about whether Trump would reject Nato, withdraw US troops from Europe, abandon Ukraine and pursue a close relationship with Moscow may have eased, though none have gone away," said Sabbagh. It is telling that, unlike previous summits, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited to the closed-door leaders' session. The lack of further concrete commitments will no doubt be "disappointing" for Ukraine, Jamie Shea, a former Nato spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary general, said, "especially as most allies would have wanted much stronger language on support, the open door for Ukraine's Nato membership and a clearer path on sanctions against Russia". With a tentative ceasefire in the Middle East holding for now, Trump can claim to have "met his election promise to act as a peacemaker, not a warmonger", said The Times. "Now, where's President Putin's phone number?" Explore More Donald Trump Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. 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