Will Trump spare NATO's existence? De Wever says yes — but concedes the alliance is on notice
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has publicly reassured allies that US President Donald Trump will not call NATO's existence into question, while conceding from Ankara that Trump remains sharply critical of the alliance — a candid admission from the leader…
In 30 seconds
- Belgian PM Bart De Wever said Donald Trump will not call NATO's existence into question, according to Le Soir.
- Speaking in Ankara, De Wever conceded Trump 'remains very critical of NATO' and said he regrets it, per L'Echo.
- Belgian and Dutch outlets including 7sur7 reported Trump describing himself as 'very angry' at the alliance.
- NATO's political and military headquarters are located in Brussels.
Bart De Wever is Belgium's Prime Minister and long-time leader of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA. NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is the transatlantic military alliance whose political and military headquarters are located in Brussels. Donald Trump is the US President and a long-standing critic of NATO allies' defence spending. Ankara is the capital of Turkey, itself a major NATO member. The article centres on De Wever's public reassurance, during a Turkey visit, that Trump will not challenge NATO's existence, alongside his admission that Trump remains highly critical of the alliance.
Background
Trump has criticised NATO allies over defence spending since his first political campaigns, repeatedly citing the 2% of GDP benchmark and questioning automatic collective defence. Belgium has historically spent below that target, making it a recurring subject of US pressure. De Wever, in office as Belgian PM, now must manage those grievances as live policy rather than rhetoric.
What to do
Belgium-based residents, expats and EU/NATO staff should watch for shifts in defence policy and budget debates that could follow from sustained US pressure on the alliance.
Impact
Regional — Brussels hosts NATO's headquarters and a large ecosystem of diplomats, military staff and contractors; uncertainty over the alliance's future or US commitment affects the capital region's international standing and economy more directly than any other part of Belgium.
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- 9 Aug 2026
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