THE HAGUE: President Donald Trump injected some uncertainty over whether the US would abide by the mutual defense guarantees outlined in the NATO treaty as he headed to its summit — comments that could revive long-standing concern from European allies about his commitment to the military alliance.
“Depends on your definition,” Trump told reporters as he was headed to The Hague, where this year’s summit is being held. “There’s numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends.” Asked later aboard Air Force One to clarify, Trump said he is “committed to saving lives” and “committed to life and safety” but did not expand further.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he has no doubt about the US commitment to NATO and its Article 5 guarantee, which says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all. But the remarks from Trump, who arrived shortly after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, previewed what could be another volatile appearance by the Republican president at a summit celebrating an alliance he has often derided.
And it comes against a backdrop of tumult in the Middle East, after Trump moved to strike three nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran, as well as the president’s sudden announcement that Israel and Iran had reached a “complete and total ceasefire.” The sharp U-turn in hostilities — followed hours later by Trump’s declaration that both parties violated the agreement — had already started to shape the summit, with Rutte publicly dancing around the issue even as hundreds of people showed up in The Hague on Sunday to denounce the conflict in a protest that was initially focused on defense spending.
Still, other NATO countries have become accustomed to the unpredictable when it comes to Trump, who has made no secret of his disdain for the alliance, which was created as a bulwark against threats from the former Soviet Union.
