Trump Sidesteps Key Question About His Commitment To Nato's Core Principle: 'It Depends'

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on Air Force One while in flight from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Donald Trump refused to say if he was committed to the founding principle of Nato last night.While on his way to the alliance’s summit in the Netherlands, the US president sidestepped questions about Article 5.Article 5 states that an attack against one Nato ally is considered an attack against all of them.It’s the concept of collective and mutual defence, which Nato has described as “the heart” of its founding treaty.But Trump seemed less than convinced by that premise while on board Air Force One when a reporter asked: “Are you committed to Article 5 of Nato?”The president replies: “Er, depends on your definition, there are numerous definitions of Article 5, you know that right?”Nato’s website makes it plain that there is one definition of Article 5:“The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.The only time Article 5 has been invoked was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the US.But Trump just told reporters last night that he was still “committed” to being “friends” with the Nato member states.“You know, I’ve become friends with many of those leaders and I’m committed to helping them,” he said.Asked to clarify his comments on mutual defence, Trump said: “I’m committed to saving lives. I’m committed to life and safety and I’m going to give you an exact definition when I get there.“I just don’t want to do it on the back of an airplane.”Trump arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday. He has been active on his social media platform Truth Social in the hours since landing but is yet to clear up what he thinks the definition of Article 5 is. Trump has been a prominent critic of Nato over the years, regularly accusing other member states in Europe of relying on the US military for defence rather than building their own.He has reportedly even threatened to pull out of Nato unless the rest of the alliance pumps more cash into national defence.He has since been credited – by none other than Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte – with forcing the rest of Nato to boost their defence spending.But when Rutte was asked about Trump’s comments, he said he had “no doubt” the US was committed to mutual defence.Related...Nato Chief Tells Trump He Is Already A Winner Hours Before His Arrival At SummitPutin Ally Claims Nato Is Portraying Russia As 'A Fiend Of Hell' To Justify Defence Spending BoostNATO Chief Says Alliance Still Strongly Backing Ukraine ― Even As Trump Backs Away

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