Inside the NATO charm offensive that shocked as much as it delivered

By all accounts, this year’s NATO summit was a win. But it didn’t start that way.

On the eve of the high-stakes meeting, Donald Trump’s Truth Social account lit up with a message that stunned diplomats. It featured a photo of a note signed by new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The message, dripping with praise, read like something Trump might write himself.

“You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” Rutte allegedly wrote.

Critics saw the message as excessive. Some even called it sycophantic. But as the summit unfolded, Rutte’s approach looked more like a calculated risk than flattery gone wrong.

Charm, Strategy, and a “Bromance”

Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, has experience dealing with Trump. His laid-back style, often marked by a boyish grin, mirrors other NATO leaders who have tried to stay in Trump’s good graces.

French President Emmanuel Macron forged a boisterous friendship with Trump. Finland’s President Alex Stubb bonded with him over golf. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earned a spot as one of Trump’s trusted allies in Europe.

But Rutte’s message didn’t read like a friend’s. It read like a strategy.

“If he doesn’t like me, I’ll let you know,” Trump said the next day. “I’ll come back and I’ll hit him hard.”

Despite the tension, Rutte stood by Trump throughout the summit. He praised Trump’s military strikes against Iran. He even softened the blow after Trump used crude language during a press conference. Rutte’s response? A lighthearted remark: “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.”

He later clarified he wasn’t calling Trump “Daddy,” only using a metaphor. Still, the comment dominated headlines.

Trump at the Center

The summit itself seemed designed to avoid conflict with Trump. It was shortened to one main session. Leaders pre-negotiated declarations. And most notably, Ukraine was left out of the final statement, a stark omission given its ongoing war with Russia.

Even the summit’s biggest policy outcome, a pledge for NATO countries to spend 5% of GDP on defense, was based on an idea Trump floated earlier this year.

“They can all afford it,” Trump said in January. “They’re at 2% but they should be at 5%.”

Until now, NATO had only aimed for 2%.

Diplomatic Theater or Masterstroke?

Experts saw the summit as a diplomatic balancing act.

“This is a kind of hold-your-nose moment,” said Torrey Taussig, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former NATO policy adviser. “Get a good photo op and go home.”

And it worked. Trump claimed victory. NATO allies approved the 5% goal. And leaders, particularly from Eastern Europe, gave Trump credit.

“Without the leadership of Donald Trump, it would be impossible,” said Polish President Andrzej Duda.

A Lithuanian official even joked that NATO should adopt a new motto: “Make NATO great again.”

Spain was the lone holdout, pushing for softer wording on the spending pledge. Trump called their hesitation “terrible” and warned of trade consequences.

A Different Ending

Before the summit, many feared another diplomatic blow-up. That didn’t happen.

Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left with some hope. While Trump made no new aid commitments, he hinted at future deliveries of Patriot missile systems. He even took a jab at Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him “misguided.”

Trump’s closing remarks surprised many. He praised NATO leaders and called the summit “not a rip-off.”

“I came here because it was something I’m supposed to be doing,” he said. “But I left here a little bit different.”

And with that, Rutte’s gamble may have saved the summit and maybe even NATO itself.

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