Eu Day Light

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump on the second day of the NATO Summit in Ankara. In his remarks, Rutte shared his assessments of Trump's policies, NATO's defense investments, and the steps taken by allied countries.

Rutte said that he had also met with President Trump at the Presidential Complex the previous evening and spoke about Iran's nuclear capabilities.

Referring to Trump's policies toward Iran, Rutte said: "In my view, what you have done by reducing Iran's nuclear capability is extremely important for both Israel and the region. Reducing Iran's ballistic missile capability is also important for the region, for Israel, and for the world."

Emphasizing the importance of seeking a peaceful solution regarding Iran, Rutte said the response following the attacks on commercial vessels had been necessary. He stated: "The fact that you tried to resolve this peacefully, and what you did after the attacks on commercial ships, was absolutely necessary. I stand with you in delivering a strong response."

Commenting on NATO's defense investments and member states' spending, Rutte noted that Canada and European countries had significantly increased their defense expenditures over the past two years.

Rutte said: "Over the past two years, Canada and the European countries have spent 250 billion dollars more in 2025 and 2026 compared with 2024."

Rutte also referred to investments in the US defense industry, saying that investments in American companies had supported approximately 200,000 jobs. He added: "You made all of this happen. Without Trump, this defense breakthrough within NATO would not have taken place."