Trump Redefines NATO Loyalty as Deference, Not Just Defense Commitments

At a June 24 meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said simply: "Just be loyal" when asked what he wants from allies. The phrase signals a shift from Article 5 mutual defense obligations to a transactional framework where allies must defer directly to Washington. He reiterated the complaint at the Ankara summit, telling members they failed the U.S. during the Iran conflict and calling their resistance to his Greenland claims a "big problem."