NATO chief refers to Trump as 'daddy' as he praises US president over Israel-Iran ceasefire

The head of NATO has heaped praise on Donald Trump over the Israel-Iran ceasefire, as well as the alliance's commitment to increase defence spending.

Speaking alongside Mr Trump at a NATO summit in The Hague, Mark Rutte thanked the US president for pushing allies to agree to increase their spending contributions, saying it "wouldn't have happened" without him.

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Leaders pledged to increase their annual defence spending to a total of 5% of GDP at the summit on Wednesday, fulfilling a long-standing demand by Mr Trump.

"Today we will decide to go to 5%," Mr Rutte said.

"We have to keep ourselves safe from our adversaries, but also because it's fair to equalise with the United States."

Addressing the US president directly, the NATO secretary general added: "This would not have happened if you would not have been elected in 2016 and re-elected last year... so I want to thank you."

Mr Trump described the move as a "great victory for everybody", saying "NATO is going to become very strong with us".

"We're with them all the way", he added.

Earlier, Mr Rutte had described the US president as "a man of strength" as well as a "man of peace", praising him for securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Mr Trump also compared Israel and Iran to "two kids in a school yard" fighting.

"They fight like hell. You can't stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes. Then it's easier to stop them," he said.

Mr Rutte added: "Then daddy has to sometimes use strong language."

'That hit ended the war'

Tensions between Israel and Iran hung over the summit on Wednesday amid a fragile ceasefire.

Several news outlets have published stories that intelligence reports in the US suggest that the American attack on Iran's nuclear programme over the weekend has only set it back by a few months, rather than "obliterated" it as Mr Trump has suggested.

Mr Trump said the strikes were an "obliteration" but acknowledged the intelligence was "very inconclusive".

"The intelligence says we don't know," he added. "It could've been very severe. That's what the intelligence suggests.

"It was very severe. There was obliteration."

Mr Trump added: "That hit ended the war".

Drawing comparisons to US atomic bombings during the Second World War, he said: "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war."

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration was launching an investigation into the disclosure of those intelligence findings.

'Ironclad commitment' to collective defence

Alongside their pledge to increase defence spending, NATO leaders affirmed their "ironclad commitment" to collective defence.

Mr Trump had sparked concern on Tuesday after saying he cast doubt on his commitment to the alliance's mutual defence guarantees.

Mr Trump avoided directly endorsing Article 5, telling reporters en route to the summit that there were "numerous definitions" of the clause.

NATO's Article 5 requires members to defend each other from attack.

Mr Trump said on Air Force One: "I'm committed to saving lives. I'm committed to life and safety. And I'm going to give you an exact definition when I get there."

Asked about the comments, Mr Rutte insisted Mr Trump was "totally committed" to Article 5.

"For me, there is absolute clarity that the United States is totally committed to NATO, totally committed to Article 5," Mr Rutte said.

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Trump shares flattering Rutte message

Ahead of Mr Trump's appearance at the summit, the US president shared a message from Mr Rutte, in which the NATO chief congratulated him for his "decisive action in Iran", as well as his push to increase defence spending.

"You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done," Mr Rutte told Mr Trump.

"Europe is going to pay in a BIG way as they should, and it will be your win."

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All NATO members have backed a statement enshrining the 5% target - to be achieved over the next 10 years. However, Spain has said it will not will meet the target.

Mr Rutte earlier acknowledged it was not easy for countries to fund the hike in defence spending, but said it was vital to do so in light of European fears that Russia poses an increasing threat to their security following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"There is absolute conviction with my colleagues at the table that given this threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative," he told reporters.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is among those attending the summit.

On Wednesday, he insisted that NATO is "as relevant and important today as it has ever been".

"We live in a very volatile world, and today is about the unity of NATO, showing that strength," he added.

(c) Sky News 2025: NATO chief refers to Trump as 'daddy' as he praises US president over Israel-Ira