After NATO Summit, One Big Question Remains: Can Putin Be Trusted?

Tensions flared at the NATO summit this week as U.S. President Donald Trump and European allies clashed over Russia’s long-term ambitions.

While Trump claimed President Vladimir Putin is seeking an “off-ramp” in Ukraine, NATO leaders warned of broader threats to Europe.

During the summit in The Hague, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could strike a NATO member within three years.

“If we don’t invest now, Russia may attack NATO territory in three, five, or seven years,” Rutte told members.

Trump took a softer tone, suggesting Putin wants a quick end to the Ukraine war.

“He’d like to settle. He’d like to get out of this thing. It’s a mess for him,” Trump said.

The U.S. president’s comments have sparked concern among NATO members, who fear Russia may not be interested in peace.

A senior NATO official told reporters that Moscow shows no signs of negotiating in good faith.

“We continue to doubt that Russia has any interest in meaningful negotiations,” the official said.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio backed Trump, saying tough new sanctions could block future peace talks with Moscow.

“If we crush them now with sanctions, we lose our ability to talk,” Rubio told Politico.

Meanwhile, European leaders, including Rutte, said Putin’s goals go beyond Ukraine.

They believe Russia aims to impose political control over neighboring states, not just seize territory.

Despite the divide, NATO agreed on one key issue: defense spending.

Allies committed to boost military budgets to 5% of GDP, meeting Trump’s demands for greater burden-sharing.

The summit ended without any major confrontation, but a unified Russia strategy remains elusive.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally, downplayed the threat from Moscow.

“Russia isn’t strong enough to be a real threat to NATO,” Orban said.

Still, NATO’s final declaration warned of the “long-term threat posed by Russia.”

The lack of consensus could hamper future efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine, analysts warn.

“It’s not just Trump and Putin who must agree. Europe must be part of the solution,” said analyst Philippe Dickinson.

He added that NATO avoided tough Russia questions to keep the summit peaceful, but that strategy has limits.

“The absence of a clear Russia strategy is the summit’s biggest failure,” Dickinson concluded.

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