Trump posts what he claims to be congratulatory textual content message from Nato’s Rutte
On his strategy to The Hague, US president Donald Trump has just posted what purports to be a text message from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte (however appears to be like actually uncommon by way of app design – however then I don’t know what apps US presidents have on their telephones).
In it, the contact, saved as Rutte, congratulates Trump on “decisive motion in Iran” that was “actually extraordinary” and “one thing nobody else dared to do.”
The contact then goes on to say Trump is “flying into one other large success in The Hague,” and provides:
“It was not straightforward however we’ve acquired all of them signed onto 5 %!”
It provides:
“Donald, you will have pushed us to a extremely, actually essential second for America and Europe, and the world. You’ll obtain one thing NO American president in a long time might get finished.”
I feel it’s truthful to say we are able to anticipate reporters to ask Rutte to substantiate if that is, certainly, a real message from him.
Key occasions
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Closing summary
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Russian missile attack kills 17, hours before Zelenskyy’s attendance at Nato
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First leaders already in The Hague – in pictures
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How Europe’s militaries depend on the US – visual analysis
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‘I think Ukraine can win,’ says Trump’s nominee for top US general in Europe
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Focus on helping Ukraine win against Russia, but uncertainty here to stay, panelists say
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Europe needs to draw lessons from Ukraine’s experiences, Poland’s Sikorski says
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2035 deadline for hitting new Nato target is ‘too late,’ Danish prime minister says
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New 5% target reflects urgent needs we ‘were neglectful for decades,’ Czech Republic’s Pavel says
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We have to actively prepare for possibility of UK homeland under threat, government report says
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Nato confirms Rutte’s congratulatory text to Trump
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Trump says US commitment to Nato’s Article 5 ‘depends on your definition’
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Police investigating potential crimes to disrupt Dutch trains looking for witnesses
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Nato ‘at worst much calmer’ than Israel-Iran crisis, Trump jokes, as he hopes ‘much will be accomplished’
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Trump posts what he claims to be congratulatory text message from Nato’s Rutte
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Nato summit expected to be triumphant for Trump and deflating for Ukraine – analysis
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Nato members willingly increasing defence spending amid rising threat from Russia, says Rutte
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Russia will be capable of testing our defences by 2030, EU’s von der Leyen says, calling for ‘new ways how to do things’
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Future of Europe is written on Ukrainian frontline and in defence factories, EU’s von der Leyen says
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Unthinkable that Russia should be able to outproduce us, Nato’s Rutte says
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Middle East crisis ‘underscores growing instability’ facing Nato, Dutch defence minister says
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We cannot expect to go back to calmer times soon, Merz says
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EU should simplify regulations, push to strike trade deals, Merz says
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Merz hails Nato summit ‘historic’ with spending rise to prepare for threats
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Russia shows no interest in peace and should face stricter sanctions, Merz says
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Merz signals criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza; calls for stability in the Middle East
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Germany, Europe need to respond to challenges, show strength and reliability, Merz says
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Meloni says higher defence spending must benefit Italian firms
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US Nato representative hints at Trump’s remarks on expectations for alliance, lauds his Middle East actions
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‘Most consequential moment’ for Nato, US representative says, as he insists ‘US isn’t going anywhere’
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Russia criticises Nato’s ‘rampant militarisation’
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Zelenskyy plans to meet Trump on sidelines of Nato summit
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European allies should ‘stop worrying so much’ about US, Rutte says
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Train disruption on Nato summit day ‘could be sabotage’, Dutch minister says
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Zelenskyy says Nato spending ramp up is ‘slow,’ warns of possible Russian attack on Nato within five years
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Zelenskyy urges Nato to sanction companies providing components for Russian missiles
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Morning opening: Nato summit day 1
Closing abstract

Jakub Krupa
… and on that word, shortly earlier than the leaders will begin arriving for his or her opening dinner in The Hague, it’s a wrap for as we speak!
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Nato secretary normal Mark Rutte has urged Europe to “make your defences so sturdy that nobody dares to assault you,” as he rallied across the new proposed 5% GDP spending goal. “It’s merely unthinkable that Russia, with an financial system 25 occasions smaller than Nato’s, ought to have the ability to outproduce and outgun us,” he stated (13:54, 16:34).
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In the meantime, US president Donald Trump revealed a congratulatory textual content message he obtained from Rutte, praising him for “one thing nobody else dared to do” on Iran and promising him he was “flying into one other large success in The Hague” (15:44)
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He’s set to reach this night after injecting some uncertainty over whether or not the US would abide by the mutual protection ensures outlined within the Nato treaty by saying the US dedication to Nato’s Article 5 “relies on your definition” of the mechanism (16:29).
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However his most senior diplomat at Nato, Matthew Whittaker, insisted “The US isn’t going anyplace” (11:54), after Nato’s Rutte additionally stated that allies ought to “cease worrying a lot” in regards to the US and deal with investing more cash.
In the meantime,
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In the meantime, European leaders largely backed the brand new 5% GDP goal, with some – together with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy (9:26) and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen (16:50) – even saying the proposed timeline risked being too sluggish, and Czech Republic’s Petr Pavel saying the ramp up displays the wants “we had been neglecting for many years” (16:48).
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German chancellor Friedrich Merz stated “it’s no exaggeration to name this summit historic” given its significance to rising defence spending among the many members of the alliance (12:33).
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Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni advised the Italian parliament that if the nation spends extra on defence to satisfy its worldwide commitments, the additional outlays ought to profit Italian firms reasonably than overseas ones (12:06).
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The Nato summit was hit by main practice disruption within the Netherlands, with the federal government (9:56) and the police saying it might have been a deliberate act of sabotage (16:26).
Elsewhere,
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President Donald Trump’s nominee to develop into the highest US normal in Europe has simply stated he believed Ukraine might prevail towards Russia’s greater than three-year-old invasion (17:12).
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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is anticipated to satisfy with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, simply hours after the most recent Russian strike killed not less than 17 and wounded greater than 200 (18:26).
The summit correct will get beneath approach tomorrow, and we’ll clearly carry you all the important thing updates on Europe Dwell.
If you wish to comply with reside updates from Trump’s arrival at Nato, you may tune into our US politics reside weblog right here:
You probably have any ideas, feedback or solutions, e-mail me at [email protected].
I’m additionally on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Russian missile assault kills 17, hours earlier than Zelenskyy’s attendance at Nato
As European leaders get to The Hague, the most recent report confirms that not less than 17 individuals had been killed within the Russian missile assault in southeastern Ukraine on Tuesday, a stark reminder of the risk posed by Russia.
The primary two-part strike killed 15 and wounded greater than 200 within the regional capital Dnipro, stated governor Serhiy Lysak, the place a blast wave showered scores of practice passengers with damaged glass, Reuters reported.
Among the many wounded had been not less than 18 kids, Lysak added.
Reuters stated that two additional individuals had been additionally killed within the city of Samar, round 10 km (six miles) from Dnipro, Lysak stated, including that an infrastructure facility was broken.
First leaders already in The Hague – in footage
How Europe’s militaries depend upon the US – visible evaluation
Alex Clark
In the case of uncooked firepower, Europe has a protracted strategy to go.
Europe’s militaries nonetheless overwhelmingly depend on US-made weapons and tools, in line with Guardian evaluation of stockpile information that raises doubts about ambitions for European-led rearmament.
Near half of the fighter jets in energetic service throughout European air forces originate from the US, whereas American – reasonably than European – missile defence techniques stay essentially the most broadly deployed on the continent.
The Guardian evaluation under, primarily based on arms switch information revealed by the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (Sipri) and stockpile figures revealed by the Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research (IISS), reveals simply how deeply embedded the US defence trade is in European armies.
‘I feel Ukraine can win,’ says Trump’s nominee for prime US normal in Europe
And on that very level, President Donald Trump’s nominee to develop into the highest US normal in Europe has simply stated he believed Ukraine might prevail towards Russia’s greater than three-year-old invasion, Reuters reported.
“I feel Ukraine can win,” Air Pressure Lieutenant Basic Alexus Grynkewich stated in testimony at his Senate affirmation listening to.
“I feel any time your personal homeland is threatened, you struggle with a tenacity that’s troublesome for us to conceive of.”
Give attention to serving to Ukraine win towards Russia, however uncertainty right here to remain, panelists say
Poland’s Sikorski additionally says the main focus is on serving to Ukraine win towards the Russian aggression.
“We consider that stopping Russia from profitable, from doing what Vladimir Putin has simply reasserted three days in the past, that he needs all of Ukraine, it is a doable job, and that is what we must always deal with.”
However Denmark’s Frederiksen says
“There are nonetheless too many individuals believing or dreaming that it’ll finish, perhaps with a ceasefire or peace settlement, [and] then we’ll return to the nice outdated days with peace in Europe.
And I’m sorry to say, I don’t suppose that’s the case.
I feel the uncertainty we have a look at now can be the long run, and due to that rearming Europe is for me the primary precedence, and I completely agree with the worldwide perspective.”
Denmark’s Frederiksen will get requested about Trump’s claims to Greenland.
She responds elegantly by saying:
“I’m actually transatlantic in my coronary heart, and I’ll do virtually something and every thing to make sure that Nato remains to be a very powerful alliance sooner or later. So I’m not going to say something towards the US, and you’ll by no means discover me in that place.
We have a disagreement about Greenland. For now, I feel the President is severe about this query, and so are we, as a result of I feel all of us need to respect the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark.
And naturally, the way forward for Greenland needs to be determined in Greenland and nowhere else.”
Poland’s Sikorski jumps in to make an announcement saying that “Poland regards Greenland as a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
He then cracks a joke:
“We don’t even make a declare on the island of Bornholm, though we had a warfare about it within the sixteenth century.”
In an extra swipe at Trump, he additionally says Poland recognises the unbiased sovereignty of Canada.
Speaking up Europe’s capabilities, Poland’s Sikorski claims “Putin has woken a large,” as “we are actually going to spend actual cash on defence.”
“Cash just isn’t going to be a constraint,” he says, including that for Russia “inside a number of years, Russia will discover it will likely be very troublesome to match [our] spending.”
Denmark’s Frederiksen says:
“We’re not at wartime, however we’re positively not at peacetime anymore, and I feel the notice [of] that is [in] the correct locations now.
She says the main focus must be on “rearming Europe’s” and investing in its industrial base.
Czech Republic’s Pavel says one of many large questions dealing with Europe is “for the way lengthy the US will have the ability to preserve the identical stage of engagement in Europe,” including “that is the world which we must talk about with our American allies.”
He explains Europe wants to seek out out
“what’s the tempo of disengagement, if any, and we must always plan it correctly, in a superb coordination.
We shouldn’t enable the scenario that america are annoyed by lack of response from European allies to push us over the cliff, and by doing that, we have now to embed constructing our personal enablers into our defence planning that will probably be then mirrored in our nationwide budgets, and we have now to do it in good coordination, as a result of no single European nation can construct such a capability by itself.”
Europe wants to attract classes from Ukraine’s experiences, Poland’s Sikorski says
Polish overseas minister Sikorski says that Europe “wants to attract the teachings from what the Ukrainians have finished,” constructing 200 factories in three years “as a result of they know they’re in wartime.”
“We’re not at warfare, however we’re in disaster time, so we have to brief circuit a few of our procedures, planning procedures, that kind of factor,” he says.
He then provides:
“We don’t have to be pretty much as good as america. We simply have to be higher than the Russians. However the Russians are studying very quick too.”
2035 deadline for hitting new Nato goal is ‘too late,’ Danish prime minister says
Danish prime minister Frederiksen says that a 10-year perspective for hitting the 5% goal is “too late, to be very frank and to be sincere.”
“My suggestion has been 2030, at newest. And I would really like us as Europeans to rearm so we’re in a position to defend ourselves and to discourage Russia,” she says.
New 5% goal displays pressing wants we ‘had been neglectful for many years,’ Czech Republic’s Pavel says
Czech president Pavel, a retired military normal, opens the session by warning that Nato members “won’t be secure by sheer numbers, … [but] secure by capabilities.”
“The Supreme Commander in Europe won’t struggle with a chart.
He’ll struggle with actual troops and concrete capabilities, together with strategic neighbours, and that’s why we must always base our funding on true necessities which might be stemming from a NATO Defence planning course of.”
He says the new 5% goal “is the reflection of wants that we had been neglecting for many years, particularly right here in Europe.”
Czech Republic’s president Petr Pavel, Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen and Poland’s overseas minister Radosław Sikorski are actually talking on the Nato Public Discussion board.
I’ll carry you the important thing information traces.
We now have to actively put together for risk of UK homeland beneath risk, authorities report says
Forward of as we speak’s summit, the UK has revealed its Nationwide Safety Technique 2025, taking a look at established and rising threats dealing with the nation.
Writing within the foreword to the report, prime minister Keir Starmer argued:
“The world has modified.
Russian aggression menaces our continent. Strategic competitors is intensifying. Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Know-how is remodeling the character of each warfare and home safety. Hostile state exercise takes place on British soil.
It’s an period of radical uncertainty, and we should navigate it with agility, velocity and a clear-eyed sense of the nationwide curiosity.”
The report warned specifically that:
“Most of the guidelines which have ruled the worldwide system prior to now are eroding.
International commons are being contested by main powers like China and Russia, looking for to determine management and safe assets in outer area, our on-line world, the deep sea, and on the Arctic and Antarctic poles.
There will probably be much less scope for settlement on mechanisms which defend truthful commerce, set controls on science and technological developments and mitigate the consequences of local weather change, as multilateral establishments decline in affect.”
It added:
“The UK’s nationwide safety and progress goals will probably be profoundly affected by tensions between the most important powers and regulatory blocs on commerce, expertise and defence.”
The research included specific warnings towards Russia and Iran:
“The obvious and urgent instance of that is Russia in its unlawful warfare towards a European neighbour. Ukrainians are paying the last word worth as they discover themselves on the frontline of this confrontation.
This warfare has been accompanied with a marketing campaign of oblique and sub-threshold exercise – together with cyber assaults and sabotage – by Russia towards the UK and different Nato allies and the usage of elevated nuclear rhetoric in an try to constrain our resolution making.
Iranian hostile exercise on British soil can be rising, as a part of the Iranian regime’s efforts to silence its critics overseas in addition to immediately threatening the UK.
In the meantime, some adversaries are laying the foundations for future battle, positioning themselves to maneuver rapidly to trigger main disruption to our power and or provide chains, to discourage us from standing as much as their aggression.”
It included this stark warning that:
“For the primary time in a few years, we have now to actively put together for the potential for the UK homeland coming beneath direct risk, doubtlessly in a wartime state of affairs.”
Earlier as we speak, minister Pat McFadden stated the 5% determine of GDP proposed at Nato was not simply what he known as “an old-fashioned idea of defence and nationwide safety” that noticed it “purely because the finances for the armed forces.”
He advised listeners:
“Vital as that finances is and people capabilities are, you need to take care of your broader safety. Our cyber techniques, for instance, are beneath assault day-after-day, generally by state actors, generally by non-state actors.
“That’s the reason issues like your telecoms infrastructure and different issues that assist to make our society work are a extremely essential a part of our safety.”
Nato confirms Rutte’s congratulatory textual content to Trump
On that Rutte textual content to Trump (15:44) – the one claiming Trump has finished on Iran what “nobody else dared to do,” and insisting he was “flying into one other large success in The Hague this night” to “obtain one thing NO American president in a long time might get finished”…
Reuters has simply reported that Nato officers confirmed the message was despatched by Rutte to Trump earlier on Tuesday.
Trump says US dedication to Nato’s Article 5 ‘relies on your definition’
On his strategy to the Netherlands, US president Donald Trump injected some uncertainty over whether or not the US would abide by the mutual protection ensures outlined within the Nato treaty, AP reported, in imprecise feedback made on board of Air Pressure One.
“Depends upon your definition,” Trump advised reporters on Tuesday as he was headed to The Hague, the place this yr’s summit is being held. “There’s quite a few definitions of Article 5, you already know that, proper? However I’m dedicated to being their mates.”
AP added that requested later to make clear, Trump stated he’s “dedicated to saving lives” and “dedicated to life and security” however didn’t broaden additional, saying he didn’t wish to elaborate whereas flying on an airplane.
Police investigating potential crimes to disrupt Dutch trains on the lookout for witnesses
Earlier this morning, I reported on practice disruption in the Netherlands disrupting the transport community on the day of the summit.
Talking at a aspect occasion to the principle summit, the Dutch safety minister admitted that “it may very well be sabotage” (9:56).
The newest replace from the Dutch police says they suspect a legal act to be the reason for the hearth that brought on disruptions.
“The police are expressly contemplating a criminal offense could have been dedicated and are additional investigating the incident. We’re on the lookout for doable witnesses,” a police spokesperson advised Reuters.
Nato ‘at worst a lot calmer’ than Israel-Iran disaster, Trump jokes, as he hopes ‘a lot will probably be achieved’
In a separate post, Trump added:
“Heading to Nato the place, at worst, it will likely be a a lot calmer interval than what I simply went by way of with Israel and Iran. I sit up for seeing all of my excellent European mates, and others. Hopefully, a lot will probably be achieved!”