President celebrates allies’ commitment to 5% GDP defense contributions, following “obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear sites.
President Donald Trump today delivered a sweeping address at the NATO summit in The Hague, celebrating what he termed a “historic ceasefire agreement” in the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which he attributed directly to a “massive, precision strike” carried out by the United States on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.
He also announced a monumental commitment from NATO allies to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP, a figure he has long championed.
Trump thanked the Netherlands for their “royal treatment” and praised the Dutch King and Queen as “incredible people” from “central casting” with “big, beautiful hearts.” He lauded NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as “terrific” and a “friend,” and complimented the Prime Minister.
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The core of the President’s remarks centered on the recent developments in the Middle East. Describing the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “obliteration” that “no military on Earth could have done,” President Trump asserted that this display of American strength paved the way for the ceasefire. He dismissed an early U.S. intelligence assessment suggesting more limited damage as “inconclusive” and politically motivated, instead citing a statement from the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission confirming the “devastation” of the Fordow site and a setback to Iran’s nuclear program for “many years to come.” He also referenced an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement acknowledging severe damage to their nuclear installations.
“We think it’s over,” President Trump stated regarding the conflict. “I don’t think they’re going to be going back at each other. I don’t think so.” He reiterated his long-standing position that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” and credited the strike with reasserting the “credibility of American deterrents, which is unlike no other.”
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A significant portion of the President’s speech was dedicated to NATO burden-sharing. He proudly announced that NATO allies have committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to five percent of GDP, a jump from the previous two percent target. “They said, ‘Sir, we’ve been trying to get it up to three percent for 20 years, and we haven’t been able, and you’ve got it up to five percent,'” Trump recounted. He emphasized that this “Hague Defense Commitment” would add over one trillion dollars annually to the common defense, calling it a “monumental win for the United States” and for “Western Civilization.”
He highlighted that since he began pushing for additional commitments in 2017, allies have increased spending by $700 billion. The President stressed the importance of this additional money being spent on “very serious military hardware,” preferably “made in America,” citing the effectiveness of U.S. missile defense systems in shooting down 14 high-end missiles in Qatar.
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Regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, President Trump noted that “last week, they lost 7,000 soldiers,” and that cities like Kyiv are “getting hit.” He reiterated his frequent assertion that the situation “would have never happened if I was president.” He also underscored the urgency of rebuilding the defense industrial base in both the U.S. and allied nations, emphasizing the need to reduce dependence on “foreign adversaries for critical minerals.”
During a Q&A session, President Trump expressed confidence that the Israel-Iran conflict is over because both sides are “tired, exhausted” and “satisfied to go home.” He dismissed the notion of Iran rebuilding its nuclear program, stating, “They’ve had it.”
When pressed on intelligence reports, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, accompanying the President along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asserted that the initial U.S. intelligence assessment was “preliminary,” “low-confidence,” and had a “political motive.” He maintained that the site was “obliterated.”
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On the topic of Iran’s oil sales, President Trump indicated that China could continue to purchase oil, explaining that Iran “needs desperately needs money” to rebuild. He stated, “I’m not giving up,” but also acknowledged that if Iran sells oil, “they’re going to sell oil.”
Addressing his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump characterized him as “a person that’s… misguided.” He revealed that Putin had offered to help with Iran, to which Trump responded, “no, no, you help me get a settlement with you with Russia, and I think we’re going to be doing that too.”
The President’s speech concluded with a strong affirmation of American military might and the commitment of NATO allies to increased defense spending, signaling a new era of burden-sharing within the alliance.
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