Trump sends Putin seven-word NATO warning in big blow for Kremlin

One of the key goals of the Kremlin has been to try and undermine commitment to Article 5, by exploiting tensions between European members and the Trump administration.

Donald Trump appears to have dashed Vladimir Putin's hopes of fomenting a major NATO rift, as leaders gather for a summit in The Hague. The Russian President has long sought to undermine NATO unity in his bid to weaken the military alliance.

He has consistently seen the organisation as an existential threat to Russia, and criticised its eastward expansion, using Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO as a justification for his brutal war. At the heart of NATO's security pact is its commitment to the collective defence of member states as enshrined in Article 5.

Collective defence means that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all.

One of the Kremlin's key goals has been to undermine that commitment by exploiting tensions between European members and the Trump administration.

Putin seemed to have scored a major victory after the US President suggested his administration was reviewing its stance on Article 5.

Asked whether the US would uphold its obligations to collective defence, Trump told reporters on Air Force One: "Depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5.

"You know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends.”

However, the US President was less ambiguous when questioned again about Article 5 in a joint press conference with the head of NATO, Mark Rutte, on Wednesday.

In a major blow to Putin, Trump reaffirmed the US commitment to NATO, saying: "We are with them all the way."

NATO leaders are expected to agree to ramp up defence spending to 5% of their countries' economic output at the "historic" summit in the Netherlands.

It comes as NATO Secretary-General Mr Rutte dubbed  Trump 'Daddy' in a bizarre press conference in the Hague today.

Trump has accused NATO European members of not spending enough on defence and free-loading off the US.For years, Vladimir Putin has viewed NATO as a direct threat to Russia’s influence and security. One of his long-standing goals has been to undermine the alliance’s unity — especially its commitment to Article 5, which states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all.

The Kremlin has sought to exploit political tensions between European members and the United States to weaken that pledge. At one point, it appeared Putin might succeed when former U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that his administration was reviewing its stance on Article 5. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump suggested there were “numerous definitions” of the clause, adding, “I’m committed to being their friends.”

However, at the NATO summit in The Hague this week, Trump’s position was far clearer. Standing alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, he said:

“We are with them all the way.”

That public reaffirmation was a blow to Putin’s hopes of seeing fractures within the alliance.

A Push for Higher Defence Spending

The summit, described by Rutte as “historic,” is expected to result in NATO leaders agreeing to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP for each member nation. The move responds to longstanding U.S. concerns about European allies not contributing enough to collective defence.

Rutte acknowledged the imbalance, telling the gathering:

“For too long, one ally — the United States — carried too much of the burden. That changes today.”

Trump also welcomed the commitment, calling it a “great victory for everybody,” and emphasising that “we will be equalised shortly, and that’s the way it has to be.”

Why It Matters

Putin has frequently used NATO’s eastward expansion — and Ukraine’s aspirations to join — as a justification for his war. A united NATO, reaffirming both its Article 5 pledge and its financial commitments, directly counters one of his core strategic aims: to weaken the alliance’s deterrence power.

He has previously said he would "encourage" Russia to attack any Nato member that fails to pay its fair share of security costs.

Rutte acknowledged that things had to change in his opening summit remarks, saying: "For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden.That changes today."

For his part, the US president said it was a "great victory for everybody, I think. We will be equalised shortly, and that's the way it has to be".