Trump praises NATO's plan to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP: will fully support it.

Gate News bot reports that President Donald Trump expressed support for NATO and praised the measures taken by NATO to increase defense spending, as NATO leaders seek to ensure the U.S. commitment to NATO.

"We fully support them," Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO summit in The Hague.

"What I mean is, if you look at these numbers, you will understand that we support them. The things being announced today are very important," Trump said when discussing NATO member countries' plans to officially increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. "I don’t know if you’ve voted or plan to vote, but for years I’ve been asking them to raise that percentage to 5%, and they have indeed done so."

However, Trump did not specifically mention Article 5, and his remarks lacked a clear commitment from the President to the NATO collective defense obligation.

The two-day summit held in the Netherlands is primarily focused on ensuring that the United States continues to engage in matters concerning the transatlantic alliance, as NATO faces one of the most challenging periods in its history. NATO is contending with the war between Russia and Ukraine (which has entered its fourth year), and concerns are growing about the U.S. attempt to withdraw from Europe.

Article 5 calls for mutual defense among member states and is seen as an indispensable pillar of the NATO alliance. However, Trump has long been skeptical about whether he would be willing to deploy troops to defend other member countries in the event of war.

On Tuesday, Trump acted this way again while flying to a meeting, telling reporters that the fifth article has "many definitions" and dodging questions about whether the U.S. would fulfill its commitments. He also posted a poll on social media showing that most of his supporters would back him if he decided to withdraw from NATO.