NATO Throws a Parade (and Its Principles) for President Trump

The red-carpet treatment was laid on for President Trump at the NATO summit. He’s not exactly adored in European political circles, and many leaders still privately view him as a volatile and self-interested figure. But this isn’t really about admiration. It’s about strategy – and a bit of fear. They played nice.

The Fear of Trump Leaving NATO

Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO – both during his first term and again in recent months. For many European nations, particularly those close to Russia, that’s a nightmare scenario. Without American military power, NATO’s deterrence is dramatically weakened.

So instead of confronting him, they’ve chosen appeasement. By flattering Trump and giving him big symbolic wins – like a new 5% defence spending target – they’re trying to keep him (and the U.S.) inside the tent.

Europe’s Calculated Diplomacy

Many leaders see this as transactional diplomacy: give Trump what he wants in public, and avoid antagonising him behind closed doors.

They didn’t forget his past behaviour – mocking allies, calling NATO “obsolete,” withholding military aid to Ukraine, cosying up to Putin – but they’re pragmatic. If Trump feels respected, the thinking goes, he’s less likely to blow up the alliance.

The public smiles mask a deeper concern. Behind the scenes, NATO is more fragile than it appears. The 5% GDP pledge may be impossible for many countries. Trump’s decision to snub Ukraine during the summit sent chills through Eastern Europe. And privately, many fear this show of unity is a façade – one that could crumble with the next tweet.

Trump was treated like royalty at NATO – but it wasn’t love. It was damage control.

But what really (might have) happened?

It was all smiles, salutes, and stiff upper lips in The Hague this week as NATO leaders gave U.S. President Donald Trump the full royal treatment – red carpet, royal palace, and more flattery than a Fox News interview.

Trump, who once called NATO “obsolete,” threatened to leave it, and reportedly asked why he couldn’t just “let Putin have Ukraine,” was this time hailed like the savior of the Western alliance. At one point, Dutch Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte even jokingly called him “Daddy.”

It’s unclear whether it was a diplomatic term of endearment or an act of psychological surrender.

NATO’s plan was simple: if Trump wants to be worshipped, let’s light the incense. Allies agreed to jack up their military spending to 5% of GDP – not because they can afford it, but because they can’t afford another Trump tantrum.

This is a man, after all, who once cancelled a NATO meeting because someone gave Angela Merkel a better chair.

So European leaders did what any self-respecting 21st-century democracy would do in the face of a threat: they groveled.

Trump tried to wriggle out of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing “schedule constraints,” which was diplomatic code for: I don’t want to. Ukraine, apparently, doesn’t vote in U.S. elections.

The summit’s highlight was a gala dinner where Trump reportedly demanded the chicken be “100% American” and offered unsolicited advice to several heads of state, including telling Emmanuel Macron to “smile more.”

In a press conference, he praised NATO’s “tremendous, tremendous progress,” noting that he had “basically fixed it” – the same way a kid “fixes” a television with a hammer.

Behind the scenes, NATO officials scrambled to translate vague commitments into actual policy. Several delegates are still trying to figure out if “more bang for your buck” counts as a strategic doctrine.

Meanwhile, in Reality…

While leaders flattered Trump into temporary compliance, long-term concerns remain: his unpredictability, his disdain for multilateralism, and his deep suspicion of helping Ukraine without being paid in advance.

One Eastern European diplomat, speaking off the record, summed it up:

“We’ve built 75 years of peace on rules and trust. Now we’re just trying to keep a reality TV star from quitting the group chat.”

In the end, the summit worked – if the goal was to avoid immediate disaster. NATO lives another day, dignity slightly dented, but intact.

And Trump? He left declaring himself “the most respected person in Europe.”

Mission accomplished.

 

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