Rutte acknowledges Trump’s grievances with NATO allies as justified — but not toward all

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during a meeting in the Oval Office, acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump has grounds for dissatisfaction with European allies, but stressed that the situation does not apply to all members of the alliance.

Rutte did not deny the validity of the American side’s complaints. Commenting on Trump’s position, he said the frustration has a real basis, but the overall picture is mixed.

“He’s right. There are also grounds for frustration. It’s a mixed picture,” — the NATO chief summarized.

As an example of a conscientious ally, Rutte cited Germany, which, according to him, had from the very beginning fulfilled its bilateral commitments to the United States.

The secretary general also pointed to the specific contribution of European countries to American military operations: according to him, allied support enabled between four and five thousand sorties by U.S. aircraft from European bases. Rutte stressed that without the use of European infrastructure, U.S. military operations in the Middle East would have been significantly more difficult.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of Trump’s statement that NATO had badly let the United States down in the past.