NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte clashed with European leaders over his support for the US and Trump.
Politico writes about NATO Secretary General Rutte's conflict with European leaders over his support for the US and Trump.
Tensions spilled into the public eye when Rutte told the European Parliament on Monday: “If anyone here thinks the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the United States, keep dreaming. You can't.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot soon responded in X: “No, dear Mark Rutte. Europeans can and must take responsibility for their own security. This is the European pillar of NATO.”
Former French Minister for European Affairs and current Member of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau called Rutte's statement “shameful”: “We don't need a Trump fanatic. NATO needs to restore the balance between US and European efforts.”
Spaniard Nacho Sanchez Amor was even more blunt: “Are you the [US] ambassador to [NATO] or the secretary general representing the alliance and its members?”
European diplomats anonymously told Politico that Rutte, although he convinced Trump to drop his threat to annex Greenland, jeopardized NATO's long-term future. Rutte's defenders say he succeeded in preserving the alliance's integrity, and everyone can't be happy.
Nevertheless, the standoff over Greenland “has caused great damage,” said one NATO diplomat. Rutte's approach is a “band-aid” that has “alienated allies”: “We are an alliance of 32 countries, not a 'US plus 31' club.”
Let us recall that Rutte made a deal with Trump on Greenland, which the island itself threatens not to accept.
