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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday he understood 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.
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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.”
He did push back on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement that NATO cannot be “a one-way street,” however.
“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.”
“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.
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.”
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