Rutte meets Trump to defuse tensions ahead of major NATO summit
Rutte used charts to show allies have increased defense spending as he sought to calm Trump’s anger over Iran and possible troop cuts.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Wednesday, deploying high praise to de-escalate tensions just two weeks ahead of the alliance's critical summit.
- The high-stakes meeting comes as Trump renews threats to leave NATO, repeatedly criticizing the 77-year-old alliance as a "paper tiger" and fuming over a perceived lack of European support during the recent U.S. military conflict with Iran.
- Trump demanded "loyalty" over cash from European allies, stating during the meeting that "we don't need their money—we don't need anything... but I just want loyalty," referencing his disappointment that some member states denied the U.S. basing and overflight rights during the conflict.
- Rutte gently defended the alliance by highlighting its operational support, clarifying that cases of denied airspace were isolated and noting that between 4,000 and 5,000 U.S. military aircraft successfully utilized European bases before the ceasefire.
- The diplomatic push precedes a pivotal July 7–8 summit in Ankara, Turkey, where allied leaders are bracing for a potential showdown as the Pentagon conducts a sweeping six-month review of the U.S. military footprint and troop deployments across Europe.
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179 Articles
'Solely to inflate Trump’s ego': The one image that explains the president’s volatility
On Wednesday, representatives of NATO met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in an effort to bolster his reluctant commitment to the alliance. According to reporting by the iPaper, they brought “visual aids” that had less to do with pleading their case than with stoking “Trump’s ego.” As iPaper political editor James Ball writes, “Trump is not in a good mood with NATO right now. The US President has been repeatedly grousing that the …
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Trump at the White House and praised his achievements.
Trump attacks NATO ahead of key summit
US President Donald Trump voiced frustration with NATO allies for failing to back his war against Iran, deepening transatlantic tensions ahead of a key summit of the military alliance. Trump has repeatedly criticized the group’s members for failing to spend enough on defense, and frequently suggested he would not adhere to its collective defense commitment. His latest remarks, made while seated alongside NATO’s secretary-general, came as the all…
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