President Trump has made no secret of his disappointment in NATO, raising concerns about his commitment to the military alliance’s principle of collective defense. And he has withdrawn most American funding from Ukraine, arguing that it should be Europe’s responsibility to support Kyiv in its war against Russian invaders.
But in a declaration agreed to on Wednesday by the leaders of all member states, including the United States, NATO restated “our ironclad commitment to our collective defense under Article 5” of the alliance’s charter. And it reinforced the alliance’s commitment to Ukraine, promising 70 billion euros ($80 billion) in military aid this year and next from Europe and Canada.
The declaration, known as a communiqué, therefore appeared to be welcome news for NATO and its partners, including Ukraine, at the end of a two-day meeting that also featured Mr. Trump insulting European allies. His long-held complaints, however fiercely articulated, did not derail the business of the summit itself.
The allies reaffirmed “the trans-Atlantic bond” and said in the statement, “An attack on one is an attack on all,” attempting to put to rest anxieties that Mr. Trump would not come to Europe’s aid in a crisis.
It added: “Allies stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
But notably, it did not repeat NATO’s pledge to make Ukraine a member of the alliance, a commitment that Mr. Trump opposes. And the 70 billion euro pledge includes 30 billion allocated by the European Union from an E.U. loan and funds already committed by individual countries.
NATO itself had promised to provide 40 billion euros to Ukraine last year. This declaration extended that promise to this year and the next.
Still, it was clear that Mr. Trump’s demand for more European spending on defense and his decision to move some American assets from Europe to the Indo-Pacific have pushed the alliance into a transition. The communiqué described the new goal of “a modernized alliance” with more European commitment and less involvement from the United States.
“European allies and Canada, working with the United States, are assuming greater responsibility for the alliance’s defense,” it said, adding that the goal is “a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.”
