Tue Jun 24 19:35:12 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Trump Shares Texts from NATO Chief Praising Iran Action, Increased Defense Spending**

Washington D.C. – Former U.S. President Donald Trump ignited controversy on Tuesday by sharing screenshots of texts from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on his Truth Social platform. The messages, sent while Trump travels to a NATO summit in the Netherlands, show Rutte praising Trump’s “decisive action in Iran” and crediting him with pushing European nations to significantly increase their defense spending.

“Mr President, dear Donald, Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer,” one message read. Rutte later defended sharing the messages, calling the tone he used in the messages “appropriate”.

According to Rutte’s messages, NATO members have agreed to boost such spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP), while Rutte added that Trump had achieved what “NO American president in decades could get done”. Rutte indicated that Europe would increase defense spending in a “BIG way” due to U.S. pressure, a long-standing demand Trump has made since his first term.

While these texts highlight praise for Trump’s foreign policy actions, they also underscore ongoing tensions surrounding NATO’s financial burdens and the US commitment to the alliance. Trump has long accused allies of taking advantage of the US military might.

While previously, NATO members had agreed to a spending goal that represented 2 percent of their GDP, Trump had pushed for that to be raised to 5 percent, with 3.5 percent of that sum dedicated to “hard defence” investments like weaponry. Some countries, like Spain, have resisted these calls, deeming them “unreasonable.”

Trump’s ambivalence towards Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the mutual defense clause, has also raised concerns. When questioned on Tuesday, Trump suggested there could be “numerous definitions” of the clause.

Despite criticisms and questions about its relevance in the post-Cold War era, NATO has seen renewed importance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to increased calls for greater defense spending and the addition of new members like Finland and Sweden.

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