NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Meets Trump to Push Defense Spending and Ukraine Support

NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte visited the White House and met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara. During the meeting Rutte presented charts highlighting a near‑20% rise in European and Canadian defence budgets in 2025 and stressed the alliance’s goal of allocating 5% of GDP to defence by 2035. He also called for continued military aid to Ukraine and touted a "NATO 3.0" vision that would give Europe greater responsibility while preserving the United States’ leadership.

Trump praised Rutte’s efforts, describing the defence spending surge as a result of his administration’s influence and calling the NATO chief a “great secretary”. In a separate statement on the same day, Trump condemned Iran’s drone attack on a Singapore‑flagged merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “foolish violation” of the cease‑fire agreement and noting that the ship sustained bridge damage but continued its voyage.

The encounter underscored ongoing US‑European coordination on security challenges, from the war in Ukraine to tensions with Iran, as NATO prepares for its July summit in Ankara.