Schoof does not want creative accounting with NATO standard outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof does not intend to meet the new NATO agreements on military expenditure with accounting tricks. “No, we are not going to creative accounting. 3.5 percent is 3.5 percent.” According to him, that norm is about military editions and “nothing else”. Spain thinks it can achieve the same military goals with fewer expenses. During the NATO summit, it was agreed on Wednesday to spend 5 percent of the economy on Defense. Of this, the first percentage goes to military expenditure and 1.5 percent to related matters such as infrastructure. Schoof hopes that not only the Netherlands, but “we are all the best boy in the class”.
Trump waves to the press one last time while on board Air Force One.
1:17
Trump thinks about rocketing weather systems for Ukraine
First cabinet discussion about paying NATO standard In spring 2026 According to Schoof, the Dutch government will probably discuss the Dutch interpretation of the new NATO standard in the discussions about the Spring Memorandum of 2026. That can still be due to the current outgoing cabinet, if there is no new coalition by that time.
The NATO allies have agreed that 2029 will be the first calibration moment. Then “the Netherlands must show that we are on a path to meet that 3.5 percent,” says Schoof. The countries have agreed that the goal must be achieved in 2035.
The police arrested about two hundred people in the center of The Hague in various places. According to the police, the activists were ordered several times to leave. It was emphasized that demonstrating on the designated Malieveld was allowed.
Trump had no idea who Wilders was a striking moment just at the Trump press conference. The president said he had no idea who Geert Wilders was when he spoke to him on Wednesday. According to Trump, the meeting was set up by the Dutch government. “Apparently I have to speak with the opposition leader when I also speak to the prime minister.” The American leader called the idea “very strange”.
Wilders, who placed a selfie with Trump on X, said earlier that the meeting was set by the Americans. The Schoof spokesperson informed NU.nl that they have not set up the meeting.
For example, the American delegation left the NATO summit.
The new standard that the NATO countries agreed on Wednesday will “ask a lot of all of us,” says Schoof. “Every year we will have to make political and financial decisions about what these huge investments will entail.” According to him, that will not be easy discussions. “But peace and safety are not free.”
According to Schoof, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made NATO “more relevant than ever”. Due to the entry of Finland and Sweden to the alliance, NATO is larger than ever, and with the “The Hague Investment Plan” – as the 5 percent standard has been called – NATO is also “stronger than ever”.
Prime Minister Schoof gives a press conference “We came to the end of an intense but rewarding period,” says Schoof. He calls the top in The Hague “historical” and a turning point in the history of NATO. According to the outgoing Prime Minister, the agreement between the countries is a message to all opponents: “NATO is ready for all challenges and threats.”
Thanks also the tens of thousands of people who participated at the top.
0:30
Rutte about Putin: ‘I don’t trust that guy’
The press conference has ended. The Beast is ready to take Trump to Schiphol.
A journalist asks Trump about Mark Rutte’s Daddy ruling. “Do you see the NATO countries as a kind of children?” She asks. “And don’t you want NATO countries to become independent and be able to save themselves without the US?”
Trump jokingly answers that he will give his allies a “beating” if they don’t listen. But with a more serious tone, he says that Europe is working on becoming stronger in the field of defense and that the US wants to help with that. “We have taken steps in the right direction.”
Trump touched by ‘passion’ of allies Trump went to the NATO summit “because it had to be”, but during the press conference he says he is leaving with a different feeling. “I saw the passion that everyone had for their country.”
To the question of a journalist or Trump the estimate of his General Caine shares that Russia has “territorial ambitions that go beyond Ukraine”, the president answers: “That could be.”
Trump tells a Ukrainian journalist that he is trying to make interceptorrhpets available for Ukraine. “They are very difficult to get there, but we do our best.”
Trump is going to Spain Trump is now talking about Spain, which has crossed in reaching an agreement on the 5 percent standard. He threatens with trade sanctions. “If we close a trading deal, I let Spain pay double. They have to pay us back.” It is just not possible to impose one EU country of trade sanctions. So we will have to wait and see how seriously we can take Trumps words.
Earlier today, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez said that his country remains of the opinion that NATO’s military goals can be achieved for a lower amount than NATO is now trying to enforce. The fact that Spain did not want to agree with the new, higher spending goals threatened to become a big problem for the top. The text of the statement is now that Spain sees room to get under the higher spending.
A journalist asks Trump about the conversation with Zensky. “It couldn’t be better,” says Trump. According to him, a ceasefire has not been discussed, but he has understood “that Zensky wants to put an end to the war”.
Trump during his press conference, flanked by defense minister Hegseeth (left) and foreign minister Rubio (right).
Trump closes his speech and asks if there are any questions. Many hands in the room shoot up.
Trump returns to the subject of Iran. He says that the American attacks have badly damaged the nuclear facilities in Iran.
Trump also believes it is important that NATO countries will spend more on Defense with a view to the war between Ukraine and Russia. For example, 7,000 people would have died last week, especially soldiers. But there were also people in cities. “Human lives are lost. That should not happen.”
Increasing defense spending will help to prevent future disasters such as in Ukraine, says Trump.
Trump continues about the NATO standard. “This NATO summit was mainly about increasing that standard, because Member States must bear more burdens.” According to Trump, the countries owe it to him that the norm has been increased to 5 percent. “Other countries have been trying for years, but now it has succeeded.”
0:44
Trump finds the Netherlands ‘Fantastic’
Trump calls the American attack on Iranian nuclear facilities “very successful”. According to him, it has cleared the way to peace and the ceasefires. Iran and Israel will keep the file, says the American president.
Trump starts the press conference. “We have achieved beautiful things on this very productive NATO summit,” he says. He also calls the Netherlands a beautiful country and he had a nice night at the royal couple in the Huis ten Bosch Palace.
I had a long and substantive meeting with President Trump @potus.we covered all the truly important issues. I Thank Mr. President, I Thank the United States.
We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace.
We spoke about how to protect our people.
We appreciate the …
Zensky speaks of a “substantive” conversation with Trump. All important things would have been discussed. For example, they would have consulted how Ukraine and Russia can work towards a ceasefire.
Zensky and Trump have already spoken Zelensky and Trump would have already spoken to each other, Susspline reports. That is the public broadcaster of Ukraine. Their conversation would have lasted about fifty minutes. That is probably also the reason that the Trump press conference is delayed.
Trump’s press conference is almost starting. Journalists are already ready with their laptop in the room. You can follow the press conference via our live stream and of course in this live blog.
On this image you can see what percentage of GDP countries currently spend on defense and where the new NATO standard is.
NU.nl reporter Tim Wijkman van Aalst has inquired about espionage, sabotage and cyber attacks around the NATO summit. A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) told him that DDOS attacks have been seen in recent days, but that there is not the impression that they were worse or larger than in a situation without a NATO summit. In the run-up to the NATO summit, the NCSC warned the increased risk of cyber attacks, but according to the spokesperson everything seems to have been reasonably smoothly.
Rutte in Slotspeech NATO summit: ‘Base laid for powerful NATO’
On the site of the top, a bus was driven against a Czech delegation car. The car ran a blowout and the bus was damaged on the side, saw reporters from the ANP . Both vehicles were present on the site to transport delegation members.
Other leaders of NATO countries also give speeches. For example, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that the agreement on the 5 percent standard shows that NATO countries are united. And Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, says that he has talked to European countries about the use of combat aircraft and submarines.
In the meantime, all lanes of the A12 have been opened again, the police report on X.
Geert Wilders has met Trump and made a selfie with the American president. Among other things, they would have talked about stricter migration rules.
Schoof calls the outcome top ‘great achievement’ According to Schoof, the outcome of the NATO top is a “great achievement”. He calls it a “big step forward” that will be closer to the defense industry. “We have made a few major decisions today,” says the outgoing Prime Minister during a bilateral consultation with Trump.
Journalist speaks of ‘Trump-Top’ “Is the NATO summit not only meant to make Trump happy?”, A journalist asks Rutte. She speaks of a “Trump top”. A clear answer from Rutte is not forthcoming. He focuses on the fact that expanding the defense spending is a deep-rooted wish of NATO. That would also explain why all Member States agreed to the 5 percent standard. Furthermore, the Russian threat plays an important role.
Rutte also says that Europe and Canada do not have to worry about the fact that Trump may not want to adhere to Article 5 of the NATO treaty. It states that an attack on one is an attack on everyone. “Trump only wants Europe and Canada to pay more attention to defense. And that is exactly what we are doing now.”
After a journalist Rutte asks if he finds Trump not too unreliable, for example because Trump had threatened to leave NATO, he says he has known Trump for a long time. They would be “good friends”. He also calls Trump “very predictable”.
Distribution of 5 percent of NATO of the 5 percent of GDP that NATO countries will spend on Defense goes 3.5 percent to “real defense expenditure”. Think of military equipment, military troops and salaries. Previously that was 2 percent. “It is an important change for important threats that we now have to deal with,” says Rutte.
The remaining 1.5 percent goes to investments that should support defense and safety, he explains. “With that we can scare off aggression and defend ourselves.”
Rutte speaks of giant jump in joint defense During the final declaration, NATO chef Rutte mentions the plan to bring defense expenses to 5 percent “ambitious, but essential” in 2035. The decisions taken in The Hague on Tuesday make NATO much stronger, says the former prime minister.
The question is whether Zensky and Trump meet today. That is on the schedule, but we have not heard anything about where and when they meet. Zensky was not present at the NATO meeting this morning. Trump should go to Schiphol around 4.40 pm. The US president gives a press conference around 3 p.m.
Trump speaks support for Article 5 from Trump was asked at the press conference whether he supports Article 5 of the NATO Convention: that is the agreement that allies support each other in an attack on each other’s territory. Trump’s answer is clear: he does. “Why am I different here?”
In earlier reports, Trump suggested that he does not want to support countries that invest too little in defense. Increasing those investments was an important effort from Trump for the NATO summit.
According to Rutte, it is likely that the US is already on defense spending of 5 percent of GDP.
Rutte’s final statement has ended. He summarized the NATO summit as “fantastic” and a great success.
A journalist asks Rutte why he was so complimented towards Trump yesterday. She refers to the message that Rutte sent to Trump on Tuesday. The American president then shared that on Truth Social. Rutte: “The language I used against Trump is a matter of taste.”
Ukraine continues to get full support from NATO. NATO also continues to work on the “irreversible path” on which Ukraine is to join NATO, says Rutte.
Rutte: “Trump is fully committed to NATO.”
Rutte confirms that NATO countries have agreed on the 5 percent standard. 1.5 percent of this goes to support for the army and technology.
Rutte starts with the final statement.
We are now waiting for the press conference to start where NATO chef Mark Rutte explains the agreements made.
The next NATO summit will take place in Turkey next year, is also in the final statement. Last year it had already been agreed that Turkey was allowed to organize the next meeting of the Alliance, but it has now also been confirmed that it will be held in 2026.
Albania will be a host country at the subsequent NATO summit, but it is not yet known whether it will take place in 2027. It is not unusual for the alliance to skip for a year. The last time that happened was in 2020.
Finally, Member States have underlined their dedication to Article 5 – “An attack on one is an attack on all” -.
Member States confirm their “sustainable sovereign obligations” to provide support to Ukraine. The support of Ukraine in the final statement is a lot shorter this year.
According to Reuters , Rutte has chosen to make Trump to his liking. The statement therefore largely focuses on increasing the NATO standard, a hard requirement from the US president.
In the final statement, Member States explicitly mention Russia a threat to “Euro-Atlantic Safety” for the long term. In the run -up to the top meeting, there was a long time in the background. Last year’s statement was a lot Fermer in this area. NATO then spoke of “the largest and most direct threat”.
The decision can be labeled as historically, because almost all NATO countries have cut back on defense for years. There are still a number that do not reach the agreed 2 percent.
There are two lighting. The countries do not have to spend all the money on hard defense spending, such as weapons and troops. They can also invest billions in safety -related matters, such as infrastructure and cyber security.
In addition, the countries are given ten years to increase their expenses. In an earlier version of the final declaration, 2032 was still aimed.
The NATO allies are just sharing in a statement that they are unanimously supporting higher defense expenditure. They want the 5 percent standard by 2035.
The NATO summit meeting has just ended, reports the National Information Service. Rutte will give a final statement in about twenty minutes, which we will of course keep you informed.
The police have already arrested dozens of XR activists. Some of the demonstrators that are taken away in buses has been taken to the ADO stadium.
Protesters sitting at the intersection of the Bezuidenhoutseweg and the Utrechtsebaan are being removed by the police one by one. The police asked them to leave, but they were not listened to. People are arrested and placed in a city bus.
Protesters block the intersection The Hague A new group of demonstrators from XR has blocked the intersection between Bezuidenhoutseweg and the Utrechtsebaan in The Hague. They sat down on the floor and are surrounded by police buses.
A scheduled bus is already ready to remove the protesters if they do not leave voluntarily.
Rutte gives final declaration at 2.30 pm The meeting seems to be ending, our NU.nl reporters report from the World Forum. Rutte is expected to give a final statement about the decisions taken around 2.30 pm.
Rutte has been known for some time as ‘Trump whisperer’ We notice in recent days that Rutte is spawning the US president. He sent him a praising app and called him a “man of Vrede”. He seems to do everything to ensure that the US remains a NATO ally and continues to believe in the interest of the Alliance. It fits his role as a ‘Trump whisperer’, a role that helped him in his appointment as NATO chef.
Rutte received that reputation in 2018. Then he saved a tense NATO meeting in Brussels by reminding Trump that the allies are increasingly expanding on defense thanks to him. In the same year, Rutte corrected the president during a visit to the White House, something that does not happen often.
Small demonstration of Free Russia at World Forum at the site of the World Forum in The Hague where the continuation of the NATO summit takes place on Wednesday, about fifteen demonstrators from the Free Russia organization gathered. They wear a banner with the text ‘ Support ukraine Stronger, Faster, More! . ‘ The Free Russia Foundation was founded by Russians in the Netherlands and supports the war of Russia in Ukraine.
On the Malieveld there are also a few dozen people for the second day of the manifestation of peoples for peace. Under that name, different groups protest against NATO and for a pro-Russian view of the war in Ukraine.
A group of fifty protesters is arrested on the Zuid-Hollandlaan, near a gas station. The police are going to carry the group away in a city bus. Around thirty people are put on a bus on Boslaan.
In a video from Omroep West you can see that a bus is ready on the Bezuidenhoutseweg to reduce protesters. A few protesters who sit down on Boslaan (a side street from the Bezuidenhoutseweg to the Utrechtsebaan) are arrested by the police and put on the bus.
A few lanes from the Utrechtsebaan have been closed, the police reported on X. “Out of two courses, city in one more lane, so you can only turn right.”
The police did that to be able to act better against the demonstrators.
All demonstrators on the road have since been arrested by the police. Agents call on the demonstrators to stay sitting so that they can be removed.
The Utrechtsebaan (A12) is now closed in both directions. There are groups of protesters in various places along the road. The police started drifting away the activists. Someone was injured. That person is now being treated in an ambulance.
In this live blog we have regularly talked about the heads of state and government who traveled to The Hague. But there are many more interesting facts over the top. The municipality has listed a few figures.
Almost three hundred drones from the sky removed from The Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen that in recent days almost three hundred drones have been removed from the air near NATO top. Flying with drones is forbidden until Thursday in and around The Hague, Schiphol and Rotterdam.
Before the top started, the police had already seized dozens of drones in and around The Hague.
The A12 in The Hague is closed in one direction due to the climate demonstration. The photo shows how a group of activists on the road and the cycle path is next to it. Also at the Malieveld and on the Boslaan, demonstrators try to go on the road. The police keep them off the road and warns that they can be arrested. According to a reporter from ANP, fain sticks are used.
XR tries to block A12, the police hold protesters against protesters of Extinction Rebellion try to block the Utrechtsebaan (A12) in The Hague. There is a row of police officers to stop them.
Máxima leads partners of NATO leaders in Rotterdam Koningin Máxima leads on Wednesday the partners of world leaders who are around in the Netherlands for the NATO summit in the Netherlands. The Vorstin received its company at the Boijmans van Beuningen depot. Before that, the queen himself was welcomed by Mayor Carola Schouten of Rotterdam and Wouter Kolff, the King’s Commissioner in South Holland.
According to Rijnmond , there were many markets around the depot and cars and bicycles were not allowed to park in the immediate vicinity. Bicycles that were still at the Museum Park were cut away. According to the local broadcaster, it is likely that Máxima and her company will also make a cruise on the Nieuwe Maas later in the day. A tour boat is ready in the Parkhaven.
The press may not be present at the NATO meeting. This photo was taken shortly before. Around 2 p.m. Mark Rutte gives a final statement about what has been decided.
Reader’s question: Why have the Indo-Pacific countries canceled? Nu.nl-Lezers wonder why the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia have canceled for the NATO top. They are not a NATO member, but are seen as a NATO ‘partner’. The countries have not given any official reason for their cancellation.
According to the Japanese channel Fuji Television, the Japanese Prime Minister withdrew because a planned meeting between NATO and the group of four Indo-Pacific countries (IP4) would probably not continue, and because a meeting with Trump was also unlikely.
Japanese Foreign Minister is in The Hague this week.
Many police in anticipation of highway blockade on the edge of the A12 and the Malieveld in The Hague are ready. Police vans and agents have also been set up on both sides of the road. They want to prevent climate activists from blocking the highway around noon, as they had announced.
The protest was organized by Extinction Rebellion because of the NATO summit in The Hague. Not only do they want to demonstrate against climate policy, but also against the war in the Gaza Strip.
After the welcome words of Rutte and Schoof, the meeting started. It takes place behind closed doors.
The last NATO meeting in The Hague took place in 1989, just before the end of the Cold War. Schoof says there was hope for better ties with Russia, but that was an illusion. “That made the raid in Ukraine clear.”
“Peace must be constantly protected. That comes with a price. We have to intervene quickly and thoroughly. Let us united the Hague plan. Let’s write history today.”
Schoof welcomes all those present on behalf of the Dutch government in The Hague. “In this city we speak the language of peace. After today she will also be known as a city of unity. We will make decisions that lead to an unprecedented increase in our defense budget. That will make our transatlantic union stronger. So that we can ensure our safety and legal order.”
Rutte opens the meeting by saying that we live in a dangerous time. There is war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, there are new technologies and there is a threat of terrorism.
“During this top we will make important decisions to protect our residents.” Rutte is referring to the 5 percent standard. According to him, the US has worn far too great costs for a long time when it comes to NATO. Rutte says that Trump has managed that other countries are now going to spend more on Defense.
And there is the first version of the group photo!
All government leaders now take a picture together. They walk on stage one by one. Rutte and Schoof are in the middle, with Trump on Ruttes side.
Trump confirms conversation with Zensky Trump has just confirmed that he has a conversation with his Ukrainian colleague Zensky during the NATO summit. “I will find him today. I don’t know, I assume we are talking about Ukraine,” Trump told the press.
Trump called Zensky a “nice man” and said that they are going to discuss “obvious”. “His problems,” he clarified.
Rutte and Trump just had a conversation behind closed doors and then took some time to answer some questions from the press.
Pressing moment Rutte and Trump mainly dedicated to Iran The press moment was just about Iran. Trump was asked about the leaked defense report on the attack on the Iranian facilities. It states that the damage is not as considerable as the US government claims. Trump dismisses the report as “nonsense”. “If you look at the satellite images, you see that everything is blackened,” he said. Trump also fiercely lashed out at the American media.
There were already great worries that Iran would overshadow the NATO summit. Rutte intervened. “The most important thing is that the US has removed Iran’s nuclear threat,” said the NATO chef.
Time for the photo moments All government leaders of NATO member states now go one by one with outgoing Prime Minister Schoof and NATO chef Rutte. After this a group photo is taken with all those present. So it will take a while before the NATO meeting starts, which was actually planned at 10.30 am.
Trump on compliance article 5: ‘We are completely on their side’ Rutte and Trump have just briefly spoken to the press. The American president was by a journalist