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U.S. President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy Tuesday by publicly posting what appeared to be private messages from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, praising him for his military strikes on Iran and tough stance on defense spending.
“Mr President, dear Donald, Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran; that was truly extraordinary and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer,” read one of the texts Trump shared in a screenshot on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The messages came just as Trump traveled to the Netherlands for a NATO summit, where Iran, military budgets, and alliance unity are all expected to dominate the agenda.
Rutte later confirmed the messages were real and defended their tone, calling them “appropriate” despite growing criticism over Trump’s decision to publish what many believed were private exchanges.
The texts also included praise for Trump’s long-running push to get NATO members to raise their defense spending. According to Rutte’s messages, member states have now agreed to boost military budgets to 5% of their GDP, a dramatic increase from previous targets.
While Trump’s supporters say the messages show his impact on global security, critics argue that the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, widely praised in Europe, may have violated international law. Others raised eyebrows at the overly flattering tone of the NATO chief’s message, which some said echoed Trump’s signature style.
*With information from Al Jazeera
