Trump Shares NATO Chief’s Text Lauding Him for Making Europe ‘Pay BIG’

(Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump published private text messages from NATO’s new Secretary General Mark Rutte sent Tuesday, in which he lavished praise on the president for forcing Europe to ramp up its military spending.

Trump was en route to The Hague for the NATO summit when Rutte’s message arrived, crediting him with pushing NATO allies to commit to a 5% of GDP on defence, a figure far above the alliance’s long-standing 2% target. The text also praises Trump’s “decisive action in Iran” as “truly extraordinary,” a striking endorsement given NATO’s traditionally cautious posture on unilateral U.S. military strikes.

The message, posted in full as a screengrab by Trump, reads:

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.

You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. 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 for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.

Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.

Safe travels and see you at His Majesty’s dinner!
– Mark Rutte

A NATO official confirmed the message’s authenticity to the Financial Times.

Rutte, who took over NATO’s top job just weeks ago, has emerged as Trump’s key European interlocutor. At a press conference, he urged allies to “stop worrying so much” about America’s commitment to NATO, insisting Trump’s expectations come with “total commitment” – if met.

While most major allies have lined up behind the new target, Spain has opted out, prompting Trump to slam Madrid during a press gaggle on Air Force One.

“There’s a problem with Spain… Which is very unfair to the rest of the people,” he told reporters.