politics
NATO Chief Meets Trump Ahead of July Summit
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a closed-door meeting with President Trump on Wednesday. The session addressed alliance funding and U.S. military operations.
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The meeting occurred as the administration has expressed dissatisfaction with alliance contributions. Rutte cited Italy’s authorization of 500 U.S. aircraft departures from its bases as evidence of European backing.
Background on U.S.
He has threatened to withdraw from the alliance or restrict base access for countries that declined to host strike operations. Rutte initially noted that some members were slow to respond because they were surprised by the start of the conflict. He later shifted to highlighting specific instances of assistance.
Italian officials stated that the flights were limited to technical and logistical support, not direct participation in Operation Epic Fury.
The president has also pressed European members to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that the U.S. military plans to cut one-third of its fighter jets assigned to NATO. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of U.S. troop deployments in Europe.
