--- 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: 2026-10-08T08:45:32.781Z 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. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7cac1c65-40f9-4605-b47a-283ec8da097c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete' [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump: NATO Is 'No Longer Obsolete'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ftXboOb5.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2017-04-12. President Donald Trump made an abrupt about-face on NATO, saying he no longer considers the alliance obsolete._ by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 12, 2017 9:16 PM UTC 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.” ## Transcript The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism. I complained about that a long time ago, and they made a change, and now they do fight terrorism. I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete. It's my hope that NATO will take on an increased role In supporting our Iraqi partners in their battle against ISIS. I'm also sending General McMaster to Afghanistan to find out how we can make progress alongside our Afghan partners and NATO allies. It would be wonderful As we were discussing just a little while ago, if NATO and our country could get along with 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 is built for a long period of time. Be a fantastic thing if we got along with Putin and if we got along with Russia. And that could happen, and it may not happen. It may be just the opposite. I can only tell you what I would like to do. I would love to be able to get along with everybody. Right now the world is a mess. But I think by the time we finish, I think it's gonna be a lot better place to live, and I can tell you that speaking for myself, By the time I'm finished it's gonna be a lot better place to live in. 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