--- title: Donald Trump Says NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete' description: President Donald Trump made an abrupt about-face on NATO, saying during a press conference he no longer considers the organization obsolete canonical: https://time.com/4737255/donald-trump-nato-obsolete-jens-stolenberg/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-12T21:16:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:22:32.105Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete' og:description: He also said relations with Russia have reached a new low og:url: https://time.com/4737255/donald-trump-nato-obsolete-jens-stolenberg/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5791069b7c5669b4/6988c28a97cdffc7406b039c/gettyimages-667782898.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Donald Trump And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Hold Joint News Conf. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete' twitter:description: He also said relations with Russia have reached a new low twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5791069b7c5669b4/6988c28a97cdffc7406b039c/gettyimages-667782898.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f2496d49-cc1b-4ca4-b08f-b87eaaca2633&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f2496d49-cc1b-4ca4-b08f-b87eaaca2633&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f2496d49-cc1b-4ca4-b08f-b87eaaca2633&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 12, 2017 9:16 PM UTC  NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and President Donald Trump hold a news conference in the East Room of the White House on April 12, 2017 in Washington. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and President Donald Trump hold a news conference in the East Room of the White House on April 12, 2017 in Washington. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 12, 2017 9:16 PM UTC [President Donald Trump](http://time.com/4728359/russia-donald-trump-syria-bashar-assad/) made an abrupt about-face on NATO, saying he no longer considers the alliance obsolete. Speaking at a [joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg](http://fortune.com/2017/04/12/watch-live-president-trump-nato-press-conference/) in Washington on Wednesday, Trump reiterated his belief that other NATO countries need to “pay what they owe” for defense spending. He had previous criticized the alliance as a whole, particularly during his campaign. “I said it was obsolete,” he said. “It’s no longer obsolete” During the wide-ranging press conference, Trump did not mince his words on Russia. “Right now, we’re not getting along with Russia at all. We may be at an all-time low in terms of relationship with Russia. “This has built for a long time,” the president added. “But we’re going to see what happens. Putin is the leader of Russia. Russia is a strong country, we’re a very, very strong country. We’re going to see how it all works out.” > [](https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/852255835963240448) Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Tillerson divulged part of the meeting in a press conference. “I expressed the view that the current state of U.S.-Russia relations is at a low point. There is a low level of trust between the two countries,” [Tillerson said.](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/putin-meets-tillerson-moscow-n745591) “The world’s two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this kind of relationship.” Back in the States, Trump said at the NATO conference that it would be “fantastic” if the U.S. could get along with Russia but that right now it’s a “nasty world.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4737255/donald-trump-nato-obsolete-jens-stolenberg/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4737255/donald-trump-nato-obsolete-jens-stolenberg/"},"headline":"President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete'","datePublished":"2017-04-12T21:16:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:22:32.105Z","description":"He also said relations with Russia have reached a new low","url":"https://time.com/4737255/donald-trump-nato-obsolete-jens-stolenberg/","keywords":["russia","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5791069b7c5669b4/6988c28a97cdffc7406b039c/gettyimages-667782898.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aric Jenkins","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5791069b7c5669b4/6988c28a97cdffc7406b039c/gettyimages-667782898.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Donald Trump And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Hold Joint News Conf.","caption":"Donald Trump And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Hold Joint News Conf.","creditText":"Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/russia/","name":"russia"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4737255/donald-trump-nato-obsolete-jens-stolenberg/","name":"President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete'"}}]}] ```