Trump and US are completely devoted to NATO, says the chief of alliance

US and President Donald Trump are fully committed to NATO, said the chief of the military alliance on Tuesday, trying to assure the allies after concern that Washington could abandon the Western military bloc of frustration for uneven defense costs.

“The US president and the US top leadership and the US top leadership,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Ruthte in the morning when the summit began in the Hague Netherlands.

“However, this happens with the expectation. And the expectation is that we will finally deal with this big stimulus, and this is that we don’t waste enough like Europeans and Canadians,” Rute said at the public forum at the summit.

“They want us to log out what the US spends,” he added, saying that it was not only fair but also necessary against the background of a constant threat from Russia.

The tensions between the Washington, Canadian and European Allies expected NATO for a number of years, but on the eve of this summit, the members agreed to increase the cost of defending up to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.

This year, the gathering is taking place against the background of the conflict in the Middle East and continues the war between Ukraine and Russia. In addition, issues on the US commitment to the alliance on arguments are ongoing about different sums that allocate and safety.

Rute said his key message was “stopped so much”.

“Start to make sure that you (protection) investment plans to get an industrial base and run to support Ukraine at a high level, this is what you need to work and stop running, they are with us,” he added.

NATO members promised to spend 2% GDP on defense in 2014, but some countries, such as Canada and Spain, tried to meet even this threshold. Other member states, especially those who are on the northern and eastern sides of the bloc and closer to the opponent of Russia, such as Poland and Estonia, significantly exceeded 2% of the goal.

Thus, some allies will be in Trump’s good books if he joined the summit later on Tuesday and others will not.

Span reports that he received release From the new threshold, but the Netherlands Defense Minister Ruben Brekelman challenged this, saying CNBC that Madrid should meet the obligations accepted by others.

“I don’t think Spain will get an exception because tomorrow they will sign a joint declaration, and the rules we have within NATO are also extending to Spain, so they also have to take responsibility. They are also committed to military plans (Agree to new Objectives) Two weeks ago, and I suppose Spain will also fulfill his commitments, ”he said Steve Sedwik in CNBC on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday.

Allies will feel the need to keep Trump in Baku, given its famous skepticism and criticism of such teams as NATO, and a group of seven industrial nations like talking no substances. Last week the president left the G7 summit early, allegedly out of -was the situation in the Middle Eastbut The departure was also seen as an expression of his frustration With such summits.

Trump should join NATO leaders on Tuesday night at the Red Road and dinner ceremony held by the King and Queen of the Netherlands. The alliance is expected to make a joint statement at the end of the summit on Wednesday, officially obliged to increase the 5 percent increase in defense.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kututis Budris told CNBC on Tuesday that the presence of Trump at the summit, though shorter than visiting other leaders, was “proof that NATO is a strong union that is functional that we are ambitious and that we deliver.”

“And with a joint statement tomorrow we will see that we are able to agree to () an ambitious benchmark for 5% of GDP spent, and this is a big thing, and it is also from the president’s leadership and the leadership of our Secretary -General Mark Rute,” he said St.