NATO summit in Ankara: Rutte's golden flattery and Merz's mixed signals as Trump looms
Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday, Secretary General Mark Rutte's strategy of lavish flattery faces fresh scrutiny after Donald Trump's latest social media attack on allied defense spending.
The Rutte method: golden flattery
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has drawn sharp criticism for his approach to Donald Trump, with detractors calling it submissive, undignified, and embarrassing. Rutte publicly defends the US president, showers him with compliments, and even referred to him as "Daddy." The Dutchman, almost always smiling, brushes off the attacks, insisting his job is to keep NATO alive and strong at any cost.
During a White House visit about a week and a half ago, Rutte presented charts showing how much allies have increased defense spending under Trump's pressure. One graphic was titled "The Trump Trillion" in golden letters. Last year, he managed a NATO summit in The Hague without incident by securing promises of higher spending and telling Trump,
Early this year, he also mediated the Greenland conflict that Trump had instigated.Europe will be made to pay heavily - as it should be - and it will be your victory.
Merz's mixed approach
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz initially tried a softer touch. A year ago, he brought a gold-framed copy of the birth certificate of Trump's grandfather, who came from a wine village in the Palatinate, as a gift for his inaugural visit to the Oval Office, along with a golf club. The gesture was part of a broader effort to find a personal connection with the transactional US president.
Trump's pressure and the summit ahead
The summit in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday is meant to send a signal of unity and strength to Russia. Yet leaders must also decide what price they are willing to pay. Questions loom over whether to support a potentially illegal war, as in the Iran case, or to buy billions in US arms instead of strengthening European industry.
Trump added fresh tension on Thursday with a social media post complaining again about allegedly low European defense spending and spreading the false claim that Germany spends less than partners like Britain and France. Most allies remain highly satisfied with Rutte, privately praising him as a gifted actor who practices excellent Trump management to the point of self-sacrifice.
- Rutte secures allies' promise to increase defense spending, telling Trump 'it will be your victory'.
- Rutte mediates the Greenland conflict triggered by Trump.
- Rutte presents 'The Trump Trillion' chart at the White House, showing increased allied defense spending.
- Trump posts on social media, falsely claiming Germany spends less on defense than the UK and France.
- NATO summit begins in Ankara, Turkey.
