How did NATO leaders impress the president? Through pampering and genuflecting flattery, which worked surprisingly well.

The leaders reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5. In recent years, Trump had sowed seeds of doubt about whether the U.S. — NATO’s most powerful member — would come to the aid of any ally under attack.

The president headed back to Washington after securing a major policy change he’s pushed for since 2017 as most NATO countries agreed to significantly increase their defense spending.