NATO contributions must be fair and balanced: Dutch King at dinner with world leaders

King Willem-Alexander called it right that NATO is pushing for “balance in the financial contributions made by the members of the alliance.” Everyone must give their fair share. “There can be no solidarity unless everyone shoulders their own responsibility,” the Dutch King said at the dinner he hosted at Huis ten Bosch palace on Tuesday evening.

The King said it was “impressive” how the NATO countries “have succeeded in forming a shield, behind which peace and freedom can flourish.” But the organisation must also be open to asking itself “critical questions” about whether it is equipped for the current challenges and whether the costs and benefits of the alliance are “well balanced” between the allies.

“These questions are especially relevant now that the threat posed by Russia and other hostile countries is taking on unprecedented new dimensions: on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace.”

He called for more attention to Article 3 of the NATO treaty, which states that “parties, separately and jointly, (…) will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.”

The King also addressed United States president Donald Trump directly, before welcoming the other guests. “Mr President, it means so much to us to welcome you in our home tonight. We cherish the bonds of friendship that will always unite our nations.”

Around 45 leaders attended the dinner. This includes Trump, Emmanuel Macron (France), Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Germany), Prime Minister Keir Starmer (UK), and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey).

Some world leaders from countries that are not a part of NATO attended. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand were present. They were invited to the dinner because, although their nations are not a part of NATO, they are partners of the alliance.

Also present were the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council of Heads of Government, António Costa. The King addressed the group during the dinner on Tuesday evening.

Trump was scheduled to arrive at Schiphol at 7:00 p.m. and meet the royal couple at 7:45 p.m. But his plane got in late and he eventually arrived at Huis ten Bosch Palace just after 8:30 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Trump shared texts that Rutte, the NATO leader and the former prime minister of the Netherlands, had sent praising the U.S. president for his role in assuring that the NATO member states agreed to spend 5 percent of their GDP on their defense sector.

Before the Dinner, the King emphasized the importance of the NATO summit for the alliance and the Netherlands. “We are assuming that the whole world will be keeping a very critical eye on what is happening,” the King said. “We’re going to make it a great evening together.”

Willem-Alexander emphasized that he is available for the Dutch prime minister during the summit, but also for the NATO Secretary General. “As the Netherlands, we must clearly show that we have confidence in the leadership of the EU and the future transatlantic cooperation. That is what has brought us 80 years of peace and security. And we hope to maintain that relationship for a very long time.”

It has been reported that it was a challenge for the organizers of the NATO Summit to find suitable seating arrangements for the Summit. For example, the US did not want a meeting where Trump would be seated opposite Zelenskyy, even though the Ukrainian president had been a guest of honor at previous summits. There will also be no official meeting with partners from Asia and Australia, who have been cooperating increasingly closely with NATO since China's rise in power.