Trump to attend NATO summit in The Hague with defense spending demands set to dominate talks

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend a NATO summit in The Hague later this month, the White House confirmed Tuesday, signaling a return to high-stakes diplomacy with America’s transatlantic allies. 

The summit is expected to be dominated by Trump’s renewed demands for significantly higher defense spending by NATO members.

“This will be President Trump’s first meeting with NATO leaders since returning to office,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, confirming his participation during a briefing.

A vocal critic of NATO during his previous term, Trump has consistently accused alliance members of failing to meet their financial obligations. He has recently revived threats to limit U.S. defense commitments to only those countries he believes are “paying their fair share.”

At the heart of his demands is a push for NATO members to allocate 5% of GDP to defense—well above the current 2% guideline and a threshold that none of the 32 members, including the U.S., currently meet.

In response, NATO Secretary-General and former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has proposed a compromise: member states would aim for 3.5% of GDP on direct defense spending by 2032, along with an additional 1.5% for broader security-related outlays. This proposal could help Trump claim a symbolic victory while allowing room for flexible implementation. Germany and France threw their support behind the deal last month, giving it added momentum.

Also on the summit agenda is Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Tuesday that he has been invited to attend. The relationship between Trump and Zelensky remains tense after a heated Oval Office exchange in February.

Trump's renewed push for burden-sharing has also raised tensions with allies such as Canada and Denmark, especially over warnings tied to U.S. defense guarantees and strategic deployments. His administration has hinted at potential troop realignments away from Europe to address rising threats elsewhere, particularly from China.

The upcoming summit is expected to be a pivotal moment for NATO, as leaders navigate growing geopolitical instability and the uncertain direction of U.S. foreign policy under Trump’s renewed leadership.

SR