President Donald Trump departed Washington on Tuesday for the Netherlands, where he will attend the NATO Summit. The meeting is expected to focus heavily on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Trump had hoped to arrive as the “Dealmaker-in-Chief” after helping broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. However, both countries appeared to violate the terms of the agreement early Tuesday.
Before departing for The Hague, Trump expressed frustration with both sides.
"We basically have two countries that have been fighting so hard and so long, that they don't know what the f*** they're doing," President Trump said on Tuesday.
RELATED STORY | Trump announces Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire
Despite the setbacks, Trump said the ceasefire remains in effect.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are accompanying the president. Both played key roles in the administration’s decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites, as well as in negotiating the ceasefire.
NATO leaders are also expected to address Russia’s war in Ukraine. Some analysts believe the summit could reflect a strong sense of unity among member nations.
“I think there's a pretty unified position on Russia,” said Gen. Philip Breedlove, who served as the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO.
He added, "NATO that is Continental, is getting more and more focused on the fact that Russia is not a partner in peace, they intend for war."
Trump said he will likely meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the summit.
Defense spending is also expected to dominate discussions. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance may agree to raise its target from 2% to 5% of each member country’s GDP, with about 3.5% dedicated to core defense.
