Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on the “Raging Moderates” podcast Friday that she was encouraged by President Donald Trump’s recent dealings with NATO and the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. She highlighted NATO members’ agreement in June to increase their defense spending from 2 percent to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 after pressure from Trump, as well as his July deal for NATO to pay for U.S. weapons supplied to Ukraine. Clinton described these developments as positive signs of “common ground” forming between the Trump administration and European allies, contrasting them with the dismissiveness of his first term.

Clinton praised the NATO commitments as a welcome development and emphasized the importance of European countries supporting Ukraine through U.S.-supplied weapons. She said the progress signals a more cooperative relationship between the president, his team, and European leaders in promoting European, transatlantic, and Ukrainian security. Clinton noted that her comments came just before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, acknowledging that while she would not have met with Putin herself, she hoped Trump could negotiate a ceasefire without forcing Ukraine to concede territory.

Trump responded positively to Clinton’s remarks while aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska. He called her comments “very nice” and jokingly suggested he “might have to start liking her again.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also praised Trump at the June summit, crediting him with securing the defense spending commitments and calling him “daddy.” Rutte emphasized that without Trump’s leadership and potential reelection, the agreement on defense spending would not have been achievable, reinforcing the perception of Trump’s influence on NATO’s recent actions.