US President Donald Trump welcomed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to the White House on Wednesday. During their meeting, he expressed disappointment with the decisions of the members of the North Atlantic Alliance, who did not support the US war against Iran, reports TASR according to the AFP and AP agencies.
- Donald Trump received NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.
- Trump expressed disappointment that NATO allies did not support the US war against Iran.
- European countries supported restraint and diplomacy, not direct involvement in the conflict.
- Mark Rutte emphasized that European allies generally stood by the United States.
- Trump described Zelensky’s performance in the war with Russia as quite good.
“They let us down. We didn’t need help with this at all. We literally destroyed (Iran) within the first week, but it would have been nice if they would have said, ‘We’d love to help,'” Trump said.
Criticism of allies
According to him, the American president blames NATO allies for insufficient defense spending and excessive dependence on the United States. Already during his first term in office, he has repeatedly questioned Washington’s willingness to defend allies who, according to him, are not fulfilling their obligations to the alliance.
His criticism intensified after the start of the war in the Middle East, which was triggered by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. At the time, several European NATO member states called for restraint and a diplomatic solution to the conflict. At the same time, some countries have refused to directly provide aid to the US military, which Trump has also repeatedly criticized.
Rutte defends NATO
During Wednesday’s meeting with the US president, Rutte defended the actions of NATO countries. “I know there have been isolated cases where you are really disappointed, but in general your European allies have stood by you,” the alliance’s secretary general said.
He also noted that during the war in the Middle East, 4,000-5,000 American planes took off from bases in Europe.
Trump and NATO commitments
After the meeting, the NATO chief told reporters that Trump was “fully committed to the alliance.” In his words, Washington would “without a doubt” protect Europe in the event of an attack.
The head of the White House has also threatened to withdraw from the alliance several times. Despite strained relations with allies, according to AFP, Trump should attend the summit of 32 NATO member states in Turkey in July.
Statements about Ukraine
On Wednesday, during the meeting with Rutte, Trump also commented on the war between Kyiv and Moscow and on his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“He’s doing pretty well. At least he’s holding his ground. A lot of people are dying on both sides, but I think he’s doing pretty well,” he told reporters. AFP recalls that Trump previously expressed doubts about Zelensky’s chances of winning this war.
