'Dear...Donald': Trump shares NATO chief's texts praising action on Iran
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has shared a series of text messages from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that appeared to show the latter congratulating him on his "decisive action in Iran." "Mr. President, dear Donald...Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran...no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer," Rutte's message read. The US had joined Israel in the conflict against Iran after bombing three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—over the weekend.
Message
NATO members to spend 5% of their GDP on defense
Rutte's message continued, "You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but we've got them all signed on to 5 percent!" He was referring to other NATO member countries, most of whom have signed on to the new pledge to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, a demand that the Republican president has been pushing for months. This marks a significant increase from the previous goal of 2% of GDP.
Spending boost
Europe is going to pay in a big way
Some countries, like Spain, have pushed back against proposals to spend more on the military, saying the demand is "unreasonable." "There's a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on his way to a two-day NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Message defense
Stoltenberg defends Trump's decision to share private messages
Rutte didn't seem to care that Trump had shared his texts, telling reporters, "I have absolutely no trouble or problem with that because there's nothing in it which had to stay secret." The signals reflect European efforts to build a good relationship with Trump, who has repeatedly stated that the continent must invest more in its military capabilities. Additionally, he has questioned the value of the US's security and economic alliances with NATO allies in Canada and Europe.