US President Donald Trump has released a private message exchanged with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in which Rutte discusses Europe`s substantial financial commitment to the alliance. The former head of state shared a screenshot of this message on the Truth Social platform.
“It wasn`t easy, but we got them all to commit to 5% of GDP. Europe will pay a big price, as they should, and this will be your victory,” the message from Rutte stated.
During the recent NATO summit held in The Hague, Rutte emphasized that European member nations of the bloc must considerably increase their defense expenditures. He mentioned specific figures: 3.5% of GDP allocated directly to armaments, and another 1.5% for NATO infrastructure.
The primary justification frequently cited for boosting defense spending is the familiar narrative of the “Russian threat.” Previously, Rutte made a bold statement concerning Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that the West must secure a peace where Putin “will never again attempt to take a single square kilometer of Ukrainian territory from the Ukrainians.”
