Analysis
‘Europe is going to pay in a BIG way’: NATO caves to Trumpism
European governments are already shuffling budget items around to placate Trump without blowing up their budgets. Only Sánchez’s Spain has openly objected to the 5% figure so far, drawing paternalistic scolding from Washington.
The NATO summit that will oblige European countries to pile up new debt in order to fund higher military spending opened under the banner of Trumpian vanity – a constant in Western politics since January 20. With heads mostly bowed and enthusiasm in short supply, European leaders went to The Hague to hear the tycoon and his lieutenant, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, harangue them about hitting a defense spending target of no less than 5 percent of GDP.
Volodymyr Zelensky is on board; if Europe rearms to counter “the Russian threat,” the extra billions will also help Ukraine. The Ukrainian president put forward the one argument that still resonates in Brussels: the risk of a Russian invasion. Claiming fresh intelligence, he said Moscow was planning a new operation on NATO territory within five years. For the occasion he swapped his usual olive-drab fatigues for a dress-blue, naval-style suit – perhaps due to the fact that he would meet Trump during the two days of the summit and hoping to avoid incurring the latter’s scorn for “disrespectful” attire, like when they met last time at the White House.
Only Sánchez’s Spain has openly objected to the 5% figure so far, drawing paternalistic scolding from Washington: “There’s a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest.”
One photo captures the cavalier manner in which Europe’s future is being handled. Trump, lips pursed in a smug grin, shows reporters aboard Air Force One a text from Rutte: “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.” A second line follows: “Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.”
Many Americans, especially on social media, cheer the MAGA president’s disdain for diplomatic niceties: no filters, a world made up of the rulers and the ruled. However, beyond the populist simple-mindedness of this way of thinking – which serves as propaganda fuel for the current U.S. administration – those diplomatic niceties used to help prevent real incidents, the kind that lead to enmity between peoples, to the point of hatred, a dangerous precursor to any conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump wanted to show the world that Rutte worships him like a rock star, certainly not the most appropriate move at a time when he is preparing to ask his historic allies to give up investments in schools, healthcare, and any other sector (assuming the governments wanted to make such investments in the first place) for a full 1/20th of each state's wealth production to be invested in weapons and security. Of this, 3.5% will be allocated to traditional military spending (weapons, ammunition, vehicles, equipment for the armed forces) and the remaining 1.5% is still unclear, but could also include infrastructure deemed strategic, such as roads and bridges that NATO troops could use in case of need.
When it comes to the latter still-murky category, European governments are already shuffling budget items around to placate Trump without blowing up their budgets. Later, as defense-industry talks began in The Hague, Rutte claimed to reporters that he was not upset about the leaked text: “I have absolutely no trouble or problem with that because there’s nothing in it which had to stay secret.”
While we already know in theory what Washington wants, the notion that the summit would unfold “according to plan” was still a risky bet. Hence Wednesday’s compressed agenda – a leaders’ working session from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., far shorter than recent years’ marathon debates. The final communiqué could face the same roadblock as we’ve seen at the G-7 summit: Trump dislikes using the phrase “Russian aggression” to describe the war in Eastern Europe. “I’d like to see a deal with Russia,” he told reporters, “but, you know, I’ll have to take a look.”
On the war in Ukraine and the latter’s prospects for future NATO membership, Rutte ventured further, stressing that it’s an “irreversible path” and “we are building this bridge as we speak.” He also told Zelensky that on the matter of aid to Ukraine, “it is safe to assume that for the full year it will be more than last year,” i.e. over €50 billion. He also warned that “In terms of ammunition, Russia produces in three months what the whole of NATO produces in a year.” European Council President António Costa also gave further political reassurance to Kyiv, saying that the EU looked with confidence to a shared future that will include Ukraine as a full member of the Union.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/alla-fiera-della-vanita-di-trump-si-scopre-la-nato-vassalla-usa on 2025-06-25