NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday he understands U.S. President Donald Trump’s “disappointment” in the alliance for not immediately helping him with his war with Iran, but also backed Trump’s decision to not inform allies ahead of time.
Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington a day after meeting with Trump privately to discuss the president’s criticisms, Rutte expressed support for U.S. military actions in Iran while acknowledging Trump’s frustration with the alliance.
“When it came time to provide the logistical and other support the United States needed in Iran, some allies were a bit slow, to say the least,” Rutte said.
“In fairness, there were also a bit surprised. To maintain the element of surprise for the initial strikes, President Trump opted not to inform allies ahead of time, and I understand that.”
He further explained later: “There was not a lot of prior consultation. So then they had to scramble to understand what was happening and then to step up.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney and other NATO leaders have suggested they did not join the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran because they were not consulted ahead of time.
Several European allies have since provided logistical support for U.S. military assets in the Middle East, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is leading international efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Rutte said this support is evidence of a “mindset shift” he said is necessary to accompany Europe’s move away from “unhealthy codependence” on American security “to a transatlantic alliance grounded in true partnership.”
While Rutte appeared to sympathize with Trump’s criticisms, he did push back on previous comments by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met separately with Rutte on Wednesday, that NATO cannot be “a one-way street.”
“It was not a one-way alliance when U.S., European and Canadian troops fought and sacrificed shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghanistan,” Rutte said.
“And I am heartened by the knowledge that every day as I speak, that U.S., European and Canadian troops continue to train and deploy in support of our shared security. I am confident that a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO will not take U.S. leadership for granted.”
Asked about the meeting Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a statement she said was from Trump, who said the alliance had been “tested and they failed.”
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“It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, and it’s the American people who have been funding their defence,” Leavitt added.
After the meeting, Trump issued an all-caps statement on social media suggesting he remained aggrieved.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump said in his post. “REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!”
Rutte said his meeting with Trump on Tuesday was “very frank and open,” and that he “sensed his disappointment about the fact that he felt that too many allies were not with him.”
“I explained to him yesterday, I said, ‘Hey, Mr. President, clearly the overwhelming majority of Europeans have done what the U.S. asked of them and what was previously agreed in these circumstances,'” he said.
“And yes, sometimes it takes a bit of time, but hey, guess what? We have coalitions in Europe. We have sometimes the political (situation) to take care of, sometimes it takes a couple of days, but then we pull together. And almost all of Europe did.”
Rutte later added: “It was a good conversation. It was open and candid, and I clearly felt his disappointment, which again, to a certain extent, I understand.”
The NATO chief repeatedly refused to directly answer questions from the event moderator and the crowd about whether he felt Trump might follow through with his threats to pull the U.S. out of the alliance.
He instead pointed to increased defence spending and the move by European allies to take the lead on their own security, which he said will allow the U.S. to better balance its European defence commitments with the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific.
Every NATO member, including Canada, has finally met the alliance’s old target of spending at least two per cent of GDP on defence, NATO confirmed earlier this month. NATO agreed last year to boost that target to five per cent by 2035, including 3.5 per cent on “core” military spending.
This growing strength and commitment, Rutte claimed, ran counter to fears about the survival of the alliance.
“Why, then, does everyone in this room have a knot in their stomach about the future of the transatlantic alliance?” he asked. “Why, when we turn on our televisions or are scrolling our phones, do we see eager early drafts of NATO’s obituary?
“Let me be clear: this alliance is not whistling past the graveyard, as you would say in the United States.”
Rutte explains calling Trump 'daddy'
Near the end of the event, Rutte was asked if he still calls Trump “daddy,” a claim that Trump himself has grown fond of repeating after headline-making remarks from Rutte last year.
During the NATO Summit at the Hague a day after that comment, Trump again berated Israel and Iran and compared them to fighting schoolchildren while speaking alongside Rutte. The NATO chief then laughed and said, “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop.”
“This is a language problem,” Rutte said Thursday.
“In Dutch, you would say, the translation of ‘your father’ is ‘daddy.’ And I said, ‘Sometimes daddy has to get angry.’ So I was not calling him my daddy, but of course ‘daddy’ also has a special connotation. And now I have to live with this the rest of my life.”
He went on to say both he and Trump treat the comment in a joking way “between friends.”
“I own it, and the president owns it because he brought out T-shirts, he made a movie, ‘Daddy’s Home,’ and he returned to the United States. This was so funny, and this is why I like him so much,” Rutte said.
Rutte needs to resign NOW
does this guy ever stop kissing trumps ass
This article is bent for U.S. Administration. The “NATO Chief” Mark Rutte, who refers to Trump as “Daddy”, does not even mention that NATO is a “defensive alliance”, which takes action when one member is “attacked”. The U.S. has not been attacked, and NATO members are not bound to act. This is U.S. propaganda at its best. This article should be removed from Google news.
If you understand his disappointment, then you are sick like him.
Cesspool.
^ This comment section.
Paul, stop being so mean! The snowflakes will melt. They need trigger warnings and safe spaces to protect themselves from your genocidal micro aggressions.
And they aren’t idiots, they’re “neurodivergent”!
TDS is strong in these parts. No real cure. Sad to see so many Canadians lost to a disease of their own ignorance.
Paul, yes, the article in part is Trump saying he can’t understand why NATO allies didn’t come to help open up the strait or escort ships through but, I m guessing other people’s comments about an illegal war and NATO’s purpose was meant to answer Trumps question of why NATO allies said no to helping. You could also read the article and interpret it as to why Rutte is always running to Trumps defense when his feathers get ruffled.
why does the word “bootlicker” come to mind?
Yeah Paul, don’t you know that extorting and sea mining and threatening civilian ships in a major international shipping lane is acceptable since the US started it?
Why should countries in Europe protect their own oil when they can have an energy crisis and pay more instead?
Trump started it.
Lynn, the article is about nato being asked to help protect the ships in the strait, yet all the tds patients below say “supporting the US in their illegal war” and talk about nato’s purpose.
Not one person mentioned protecting ships from terrorist attacks in the strait.
This was a war of aggression and not Article 5. If Canada joins and we lose servicemen or Iran fanatics bring their terrorism to Canada,
I dont care what Carney is doing positively he will be out. Rutte is Chamberlain. Embarrasing.
Rutte needs to stay awake.There was no surprise, ships had been deployed to the region in Feb long before the first strike.
Don decided to go at himself with israel.
Thats enough.
Agree with Lynn…only dummy in these comnents is Paul Coker.
Hurry up and get out of nato. Tired of listening to the big murdering cry baby.
@ Paul Coker, everyone is allowed to their opinion so it doesn’t give you the right to call people dummies or they don’t understand English. No one is twisting Trumps words, which I don’t even see these words you just spoke of written in this article. There are different ways this article can be taken/ viewed when you read it. Trump started the war of choice and the closure of the strait was a direct result of his actions he took. Actions have consequences. Why should NATO allies put themselves in harms way. (People that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.)
It was NEVER in NATO’s mandate to support the illegal invasion of a sovereign country, particularly when the Iran did NOT attack the USA (or Israel)!
Canada is irrelevant when it comes to police actions or military intervention. Canada is a bench warmer just like Carney when he was a “college” goalie.
Look at these dummies in the comments that cannot understand English and twist Trump’s words to mean something else.
He said the NATO countries should HELP PROTECT THE SHIPS In the strait.
He didn’t say come help end their civilization.
You people have lost the ability to understand anything.
TDS.
Rutte is another Trump minion. More worried about kissing his a##, then telling him straight to his face how NATO actually works instead of trying to pacify Trump like a toddler. Rutte is supposed to be NATO secretary general, he of all people should know how
Nato works. This was a war of choice started by Trump and Israel. Why would other Nato allies step in and help.Trump and his cronies usual move, they screw up royally and then blame other countries and nations for their bad decisions and failures. To Rutte, Trump and his minions Boo F###ing Hoo!
NATO’s core mandate is the collective defence of its member countries. So why is NATO funding and arming Ukraine why would Iran be different
Canada has little support to offer except virtue signalling by Carney.
Perhaps it has a lot to do with Trump badmouthing his allies, threatening to annex some, and trying to tariff everyone and everything in the world while personifying all of the worst American stereotypes…just a thought.
Rutte is no friend to NATO. He needs to be replaced. He is just another Trump grifter.
I want Trump’s baby.
Rutte is a moron.
Rutte needs to to be removed!
If Iran did get the nuclear bombs done and did start launching them towards the “great satan” that is you and me, NATO could help with the defense, that is if anything remains of us infidels. Also NATO could defend the Iranian people being eliminated by the ruling murderous dictatorial regime?
NATO’s core mandate is the collective defence of its member countries.
How does supporting an aggressive member’s impulsive war of choice not betray the implicit values that form the foundation of that covenant?
As Trump started the war, and insisted NATO countries come join him in beating Iran back to the stone age, WHY?
Rutte does not understand how the world works now. It does not revolve around Trump. Time to replace Trump’s pet with someone who backs NATO.
As pointed out, Trump is still upset he was not allowed to attack a fellow member in NATO, against all NATO rules.