Trump set to put NATO unity to the test at Turkey summit
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is working to keep the alliance united and Donald Trump engaged. But disputes over burden sharing, US military commitments, and the
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is working to keep the alliance united and Donald Trump engaged. But disputes over burden sharing, US military commitments, and the Iran war are creating a major test for NATO unity. Mark Rutte came prepared for his latest visit to Washington in late June. As Donald Trump complained about European allies and their reluctance to support the United States during the war against Iran, the NATO secretary-general responded with praise. Lots of it. And pointed to large display boards emblazoned with gold-colored headlines, one titled: "The Trump Trillion." In front of the cameras, Rutte was in full pitch mode. "I want to show you what this president was able to achieve," Rutte told the press, highlighting an additional $1.2 trillion (€1 trillion) in defense spending by European allies and Canada since 2017, when Trump first took office. Just days before a crucial NATO summit kicks off in Ankara on July 7, Rutte was doing what has become one of, if not his most, important tasks: keeping Donald Trump on board. The summit will bring together the leaders of NATO's 32 allied countries at a moment of growing uncertainty amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine. As the US reviews its military posture in Europe, many European governments are worried about how committed Trump remains to the security alliance. Ankara summit aims to 'make a case for NATO' Rutte's strategy to keep the alliance together is to flatter Trump, emphasize the benefits NATO brings to the US and highlight the efforts European allies have made to increase defense spending. The NATO chief wants to avoid public disputes in Ankara and showcase allied unity. Claudia Major, a trans-Atlantic security expert at the German Marshall Fund think tank, told DW that worried leaders will be trying to send the message that the alliance is still strong — and looking "to please Trump and to make a case for NATO." Rutte might try to make an economic case in favor of NATO, for instance for US F-35 fighter jets Image: Fabrizio Bensch/REUTERS This may explain why Rutte — desperately looking for common ground — has placed defense production at the center of this year's summit.
He is expected to unveil what he calls a "defense industrial revolution," including tens of billions of dollars in new contracts and procurement deals for Europeans looking to boost weapons production. Rutte's goal, said Major, is "to show that there is a market for the US industry and also to make an economic case in favor of NATO that Trump hopefully will find attractive." US to keep 'close eye on allies' in Europe Whether that approach will work remains unclear. "If we have learned one thing about the US president over the last one-and-a-half years," Major said, "it is that he can be very disruptive and it is difficult to predict what he is going to do." That unpredictability was on display at a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on June 18, when Trump's defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, announced a review of American troop deployments and military posture in Europe. Hegseth also delivered a blunt warning: "Our national defense strategy states clearly that we're going to incentivize and enable our allies to step up and do their part," he said. "So we're going to keep a close eye on allies who are not doing that, and who say no, or maybe, or wait and see when it matters most. It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors." The harsh tone caused some irritation among the assembled ministers. The review itself was expected — European governments have long anticipated a gradual reduction of the US role in Europe. Their concern is about how quickly that will happen. German Defense Minister Pistorius warns that "the most relevant challenge is to avoid dangerous capability gaps." Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned against creating military shortfalls during the transition.
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