NATO’s Rutte brings down the charts, backfires as Trump questions alliance’s value – nationally
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday used a White House meeting to try to convince US President Donald Trump that the alliance meets its obligations to spend on defense and create economic benefits for the US, relying on visual services while reversing Trump’s criticism of the allies.
Trump and his senior administration officials have complained that their European allies did not help the US carry out its first strikes in the war against Iran, and have openly talked about reducing US contributions to NATO or even questioning its membership altogether as a result.
Rutte’s visit to Washington also comes two weeks before the annual summit of NATO leaders in Ankara, Turkey, and to put pressure on the Secretary-General to soften Trump’s anger.
Rutte, as he has done in the past, acknowledged Trump’s disappointment but also wanted to make the case that NATO allies remain reliable partners in mutual defense.
Rutte also noted that 4,000 to 5,000 US planes were leaving European bases before Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire.
“I know there have been individual cases that you’ve been disappointed with, but speaking of course, your European partners have been there with you,” he told Trump.
Rutte then moved on to a series of charts displayed on easels showing what he said was the effect Trump had on getting European allies and Canada to increase defense spending.
He said spending has increased by a total of US $250 billion since the beginning of 2025, and more than US $1 trillion since Trump became president in 2017, which Rutte called the “Trump Trillion.”
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“I can assure you that this is because of Russia, because of the threat, but I am also absolutely sure that you as the president of the United States” is also a factor, Rutte said while pointing to Trump.
“This,” he added, pointing back at the charts, “is your proof.”
He also said that almost half of that money was spent on defense equipment produced in the US, creating more than 112,000 American jobs, and another 83,000 from European defense companies investing in the US.
“It’s very exciting,” Trump said after Rutte concluded his presentation.
But Trump continued to criticize his allies for not quickly reaching the five percent of GDP defense spending target, prompting Rutte to back down again gently.
“It’s a mixed bag, but most of them are doing it,” Rutte said of the cost increases. “And the alliance is much stronger because of this.”
Trump singled out Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain’s “horror show” for not helping at the start of the Iran war, though he insisted that “we didn’t need help.”
“I appreciate your kind words,” he told Rutte. “He did a really good job. And I think if there was someone else in that position, we wouldn’t even be meeting today, to be honest with you, because we’re disappointed.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week announced a six-month review of US forces in Europe that he said will depend on whether allies spend enough on defense.
Canada finally met NATO’s old defense goal of two percent of GDP this year, which the government says is thanks to an additional investment of $63 billion.
Pentagon officials, however, criticized Canada for not showing “credible” plans to meet the new five percent spending target, an argument echoed by Canadian defense experts but disputed by Ottawa.
Trump on Wednesday did not mention Canada on his list of countries he is angry with.
Canada helped American citizens trying to flee to the Middle East after the first strikes in Iran, Global News reported last month.
Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Trump on Wednesday ahead of next month’s NATO summit, Carney’s office confirmed in a one-sentence statement that did not say what the two leaders discussed.
The US never consulted with its European allies before it launched a war on Iran alongside Israel on Feb. 28.
Trump, however, says that NATO allies are not in the US and has proposed leaving the alliance, which was founded in 1949 to deal with the Cold War threat posed to European security by the Soviet Union.
At the heart of the NATO Charter is Article 5 a self-defense agreement where an attack by one is considered an attack by all. The only time it was requested was in 2001, to support the US after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
– via files from Alex Boutilier of Global and The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
