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The US president has declined to unequivocally back the alliance’s collective defense obligations

US President Donald Trump has refused to publicly affirm that he would unconditionally defend America’s allies under NATO. He made the remarks on Tuesday en route to the NATO summit in The Hague.

Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO members must treat an attack against one of them as an attack against them all.

Asked by a reporter if he was committed to Article 5, Trump replied, “Depends on your definition.”

“There are numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friend. You know, I’ve become friends with many of those leaders,” he added.

When asked to clarify his position aboard Air Force One, the president said, “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.”

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, for his part, told reporters that he has “no doubt that the US is totally committed to NATO, totally committed to Article 5.” Rutte recently sent a glowing letter to Trump, praising his “decisive action in Iran” and promising “another big success” at the summit in The Hague.

Trump, who has at times spoken disparagingly about the alliance, has long urged members to boost their defense spending. He broke ranks earlier this year by reviving direct talks with Russia and refusing to offer the kind of unconditional support for Ukraine that it enjoyed under his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

The change in US policy prompted European NATO members to consider moving away from reliance on Washington for their defense. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week that Europe can’t afford to “free ride” on US security any longer. In April, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Europe must acknowledge it will not be “a geopolitical priority” for the US in the coming years.

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French Prime Minister François Bayrou will face another no-confidence measure by the Socialist Party over failed pension talks, a lawmaker said on Tuesday. Although the far-right National Rally said it would not support the motion, the move weakens President Emmanuel Macron’s already vulnerable government and its hopes of passing an ambitious 2026 budget bill.

US President Donald Trump arrived in the Netherlands for a historic two-day NATO summit amid concern over the alliance’s largest donor’s commitment to NATO’s mutual defence agreement known as Article 5. While Trump’s threats to withdraw from the agreement have capitulated some nations to his demands to raise member states’ financial contributions to 5% of their GDP, Slovakia and Spain’s remain resistant.

France 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech on Tuesday touting the “historic” progress Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran accomplished in weakening its foe’s nuclear development program and stockpile of ballistic missile arsenal.

The US agency harshly criticised Boeing’s safety culture as well as ineffective oversight by the FAA.

The State Department has offered up to $3m for information leading to the arrest of Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano.

An early intelligence assessment indicated that the U.S. military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of Tehran’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to US media reports. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared a “historic victory” on Tuesday and insisted that his country’s arch-foe would never achieve a nuclear weapon. FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.

Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni has officially declared his intention to run for a seventh term, in polls due early next year. The 80-year-old has been in power since 1986, making him Africa’s fourth longest-ruling leader. As presidential and legislative elections draw near, growing repression of the opposition is raising serious concerns.

FRANCE 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani reports from The Netherlands as NATO leaders meet. Speaking to FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney, Charles A Kupchan, former advisor to President Obama, and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that a US withdrawal from global alliances is unlikely and that Donald Trump ‘will stand by Article 5 in the American commitment to collective defense’.