Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on the \u201cRaging Moderates\u201d podcast Friday that she was encouraged by President Donald Trump\u2019s recent dealings with NATO and the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. She highlighted NATO members\u2019 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 \u201ccommon ground\u201d forming between the Trump administration and European allies, contrasting them with the dismissiveness of his first term.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Trump responded positively to Clinton\u2019s remarks while aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska. He called her comments \u201cvery nice\u201d and jokingly suggested he \u201cmight have to start liking her again.\u201d NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also praised Trump at the June summit, crediting him with securing the defense spending commitments and calling him \u201cdaddy.\u201d Rutte emphasized that without Trump\u2019s leadership and potential reelection, the agreement on defense spending would not have been achievable, reinforcing the perception of Trump\u2019s influence on NATO\u2019s recent actions.<\/p>\n