NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent public praise for President Trump’s push to make Europe pay more for its own defense is the kind of straight talk Americans have wanted for years, and it should be celebrated, not denounced. Rutte told reporters and allied leaders that Trump has driven NATO to a “really, really important moment” and pushed Europeans to step up their spending — proof that pressure works where polite appeals failed.
The Dutch-born NATO chief has been explicit in private and public meetings: he agrees with Mr. Trump that European allies must increase defense budgets drastically, even suggesting targets well beyond the old 2 percent baseline. Rutte warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine would be catastrophic for NATO credibility and far costlier in the long run than the investment required now to deter further aggression.
Conservative Americans should take pride that a NATO leader is recognizing what we already know — that American leadership paired with firm, principled pressure gets results. For too long European governments treated defense like a charity they could ignore, relying on U.S. taxpayers and soldiers; Trump’s relentless insistence that allies pay up is restoring balance to the alliance. This isn’t saber-rattling, it’s common-sense accountability.
Rutte also welcomed tougher measures on Russia, endorsing sanctions that echo the president’s warning to Moscow, and he has backed stronger rules for protecting NATO airspace when intrusions occur. That kind of clarity from NATO’s top official undercuts the predictable chorus of hand-wringers in Washington who criticized Trump when he demanded fair burden-sharing. If European leaders want to keep American blood and treasure off their soil, they will keep writing the checks and rebuilding their forces.
The establishment’s reflex is to call for unity around vague platitudes while letting free riders off the hook, but the proof is in the results: higher defense spending commitments and renewed strategic focus in Europe. Conservatives should press this advantage, demanding that any administration — Republican or Democrat — continue to insist on fair contributions and a clear plan to secure peace that does not bankrupt America.
Hardworking Americans want their leaders to be tough, smart, and unapologetic about defending liberty and reducing unfair burdens on U.S. taxpayers. Mark Rutte’s praise for President Trump is validation that America’s assertive diplomacy works, and patriots should hold the line until NATO permanently sheds its freeloaders and becomes the strong, credible alliance our children deserve.
