NATO Leaders Play Down Concern Over Trump’s Defense Commitment

NATO leaders sought to project confidence that the US will defend allies after President Donald Trump fueled doubts about his administration’s continued commitment to crucial collective obligations.

Heading into the high-stakes summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters he was convinced that the US is “totally committed” to Article 5, which states that an attack on one of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization members is an attack on all. Trump said on Tuesday aboard Air Force One that his commitment to NATO’s key tenet was open to interpretation.