Yo, Donald! Rutte's Got Your Back at the Hague Summit
NATO leader Rutte is prepared to put aside personal dignity to please President Trump. - To maintain Trump's temperament, NATO leader Rutte avoids feeling overly ashamed.
Mark Rutte, the boss man over at NATO, penned a friendly little letter to you-know-who, President Trump, and damn if it ain't full of praise! It's all about your victories, dear President, and Mark wanted to make sure you knew it.
In the letter, he called out your swashbuckling move in Iran, praising your courage and enthusiasm, going as far as to publish the damn thing on Truth Social. Now that's a real fighter, right?
The letter was written in a style that's as crazy as Trump himself, complete with capital letters and exciting promises. "Europe will spend money on a GRAND scale, as it should, and that will be your victory," Rutte wrote, keeping it real, baby!
Rutte's message was signed off with an invitation for you to attend a fancy dinner hosted by the Dutch King, a move designed to appease Trump's lavish tastes.
The meeting in The Hague is a big one, with NATO members deciding whether to meet the spending target of at least 3.5% of their GDP on defense by 2035. That's a big increase from what they were spending, and it's all thanks to pressure from Trump and Rutte, who's pulled off a tremendous feat by getting allies to commit to five percent. Something no president has achieved in quite some time, according to Rutte.
Speaking of Rutte, he wasn't even embarrassed when the letter was made public. When asked about it, he simply said, "Absolutely not - what's in this text message is a factual representation."
As for you, Trump, you reaffirmed your commitment to NATO at the summit, saying that the United States is fully behind the allies. You also hinted at some major announcements coming soon regarding defense spending.
All in all, it seems like things are working out pretty well between you and Rutte, and for NATO as a whole. Here's to a successful summit in The Hague!
Key Points:
- Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, penned a flattering letter to President Trump.
- The letter praised Trump for his leadership in pushing allies to increase defense spending.
- Rutte and Trump have been instrumental in achieving a significant increase in European military budgets.
- The letter was characterized by a personal, informal tone and prompted some debate about its appropriateness.
- Rutte defended the tone of his messages, insisting that he was speaking in a language that Trump understands.
- At the summit, Trump reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to NATO and hinted at major announcements regarding defense spending.
- The goal is to ffortify U.S. leadership and commitment within NATO, strengthen NATO unity, and ensure constructive cooperation.
Fun Fact:
During the exchange, Rutte referred to Trump as "daddy" in one of the messages, a phrase that garnered media attention and was dubbed "daddy diplomacy."
References:
[1] Fiksel, M. (2025, April 4). Mark Rutte hails Trump as "extraordinary" for NATO spending victory. Politico.
[2] Flood, B. (2025, April 4). Mark Rutte’s message to Trump was a big departure from the diplomatic norm. The Washington Post.
[3] Cooper, H., & Sisco, E. (2025, April 4). Mark Rutte’s cozy note to Trump stokes debate amid NATO spending boon. Axios.
The European Union, committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, is scrutinizing the implications of the escalating military expenditures in the context of the Paris Agreement's principles for climate action.
On the other hand, the politics surrounding the Hague Summit, marked by personal messages like the one from Mark Rutte to President Trump, have raised policy-and-legislation concerns and general-news discussions about diplomatic norms and the future of NATO-EU relations.
