Trump’s Iran Strikes Overshadow NATO Summit as Alliance Eyes Record Defense Spending

World leaders gathered in the Netherlands Tuesday for a pivotal NATO summit, poised to adopt a new defense spending target of 5% of GDP — the highest in the alliance’s history. 

But U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent military actions against Iran have sharply shifted the summit’s focus.

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Trump’s return to NATO was initially framed as a diplomatic victory, with Washington pressing allies into higher military spending. 

Instead, attention is now dominated by his decision to authorize strikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and his controversial announcement of a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran — a ceasefire already under strain.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed that Ukraine remains central to the alliance’s agenda as the war enters its fourth year. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in The Hague for bilateral meetings but skipped the leaders’ session set to approve the spending increase.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, warning that Europe’s long-term stability hinges on repelling Russian aggression.

“As long as this trajectory continues, Russia will find in France and Germany an unshakeable determination,” the leaders wrote in The Financial Times.

The summit marks a sharp evolution from last year’s Washington gathering, where NATO committed to long-term support for Ukraine’s path to membership. 

Now, as the Middle East crisis spills into NATO’s agenda, the alliance faces growing geopolitical pressures on multiple fronts.