(NewsNation) — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sent a private congratulatory message to President Donald Trump on Tuesday regarding U.S. air strikes on Iranian nuclear targets over the weekend, saying the move “makes us all safer.”
Trump posted the message to his Truth Social account, and NATO has confirmed to NewsNation that the message was sent by Rutte. It was sent early Tuesday before Trump left the White House for the NATO summit at The Hague, the official said.
“Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do,” Rutte wrote. “It makes us all safer.”
Trump departed for The Hague after colorfully criticizing both Israel and Iran on Tuesday morning for what he said were violations of their ceasefire agreement.
Rutte added, “Donald, you have really driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way as they should, and it will be your win.”
In his message, Rutte wrote that Trump was “flying into another big success in The Hague … It was not easy, but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent.”
NATO leaders are expected to endorse a goal of spending 5% of alliance members’ gross domestic product on security to fulfil plans for defending against outside attack.
Asked by NewsNation about Rutte’s relationship with Trump and the upcoming NATO Summit, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly replied, “In just 48 hours, President Trump accomplished what his predecessors have only dreamed about – Iran’s nuclear capabilities are obliterated, a ceasefire has been brokered to conclude the ’12-Day-War,’ and the entire world is safer.
“Now, he heads to NATO with his reputation cemented as Peacemaker-in-Chief, which will motivate allies to take his five percent defense spending pledge and even further advance global stability.”
Spain said it has reached a deal with NATO to be excluded from the 5% target, while Trump said the figure shouldn’t apply to the United States, only its allies.
Other questions remain over what demands could be insisted on from other members of the alliance, like Belgium, Canada, France and Italy, that also would struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars. Rutte conceded that for some, reaching 5% will “still be a long road ahead.”
“NATO has no opt-out, and NATO does no side deals,” Rutte told reporters in The Hague. “It is critical that each ally carries their fair share of the burden.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
