Trump Sparks Fear Over NATO Future With Doubts on Defense Pledge

Secretary General Mark Rutte is fighting to stop the NATO summit from spinning out of control after President Donald Trump cast doubt on the US commitment to defend its allies.

As Trump departed for the meeting in The Hague, Rutte sent the US president a fawning private message, lauding him for his achievements in halting the conflict between Israel and Iran and for securing an unprecedented increase in European defense spending. Trump screen grabbed the message and posted it on social media.

“You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” Rutte said in the message, which ...