It was scripted as a lovefest with only one purpose: to prevent the most impulsive and erratic U.S. president in history from throwing NATO’s toys out of his pram. No one provoked a tantrum.
Last week’s summit in the Hague made little pretense of discussing global strategy. It merely showcased the desperate efforts of European NATO members to increase their defense spending. It offered flattery to the U.S. guest of honor in a fashion unprecedented even during the Cold War.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte set the tone with his welcome message before U.S. President Donald Trump’s arrival, congratulating the president on his "decisive action” in Iran and promising that he would be "flying into another big success in The Hague.” He even expressed sympathy for the president’s public use of four-letter language.
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