Rutte’s NATO gambit: courting Trump with U.S. defense deals
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte aims to keep Trump in NATO by pressing for more U.S.-led defense deals and joint ventures to close Europe’s defense production gap, a push NATO hopes will be a key takeaway at Ankara. The plan could help interoperability and unlock economic opportunities, but real leverage is limited since arms purchases remain largely under national control and EU autonomy concerns could complicate a heavy US-led approach.