By David Wainer and Daniel Michaels

Donald Trump shared a private message from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that praised the U.S. president for his "decisive action in Iran," calling it "extraordinary." Rutte's message, posted on Trump's Truth Social account, also credited Trump with pushing NATO allies to increase defense spending, saying that "Europe is going to pay in a BIG way" and that Trump "will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done."

Trump is preparing to claim a major foreign-policy win at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's summit in The Hague this week: a commitment by NATO members to more than double their defense-spending target. Since 2014, the alliance has aimed for 2% of GDP-but under pressure from Trump, allies are expected to endorse a new 5% goal at a coming summit. The language in the expected declaration will emphasize unity and signal a shift toward significantly higher military investment across the alliance.

"You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening," Rutte wrote in the message shared by Trump. "It was not easy but we've got them all signed onto 5 percent! Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment."

A NATO spokesperson confirmed that Rutte sent the message to Trump earlier today.

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June 24, 2025 10:45 ET (14:45 GMT)

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