Trump publicizes fawning private letter from NATO chief

Mark Rutte has praised the US leader for “extraordinary” action against Iran

US President Donald Trump has posted screenshots of a private text message from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in which he showered the American leader with praise for “decisive action in Iran.” 

The message, which Trump shared on his Truth Social platform, appears to have been sent ahead of the two-day NATO summit in The Hague, which opened on Tuesday. 

“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,” Rutte wrote, seemingly referring to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on June 22. 

In his message, Rutte also promised “another big success” for Trump in The Hague, saying that all NATO members had agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” he wrote. 

Trump has long insisted that NATO members in Europe should significantly increase their military budgets, which many pledged to do in recent years, citing the Russian-Ukraine conflict. 

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Spain has reportedly decided to opt out of the 5% spending target, after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected the idea as “not only unreasonable but also counterproductive.” Madrid is currently below the existing 2% spending threshold, with only about 1.3% of its GDP allocated for the military.

Rutte, however, told journalists on Monday that NATO rules don’t allow such exemptions.