Overview
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet President Trump in Washington next week, with Secretaries Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth expected to join the talks.
- Trump has said he is considering pulling the United States from NATO and has labeled the alliance an extremely unreliable partner over its stance on the Iran conflict.
- NATO officials say the Washington visit was set up in advance and was not arranged in direct response to Trump’s recent comments.
- Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission reaffirm the pact’s value, say Europe will not join a war in Iran, and note that any U.S. exit would face Senate approval.
- The White House has requested a record $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027, including funding for a new nationwide missile shield called Golden Dome that links sensors and interceptors on land, at sea, and in space, according to reporting from ámbito.com.