The leaders reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5. In recent years, Trump had sowed seeds of doubt about whether the U.S. — NATO’s most powerful member — would come to the aid of any ally under attack.

NATO allies on Wednesday rubber-stamped a commitment to spend 5 percent of GPD on defense and related investment by 2035.

Donald Trump ensured that NATO’s high-stakes summit would be a nervy affair to the end as he arrived in The Hague fueling doubts about whether the US remains fully committed to defending its allies. The US president was feted as the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander on Tuesday.

In a press conference before heading back to Washington, Trump struck a conciliatory tone as he sought to harvest praise for the spending boost.

NATO leaders on Wednesday backed a big increase in defence spending and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit tailor-made for U.S. President Donald Trump. In a short statement,