Rutte Backs Trump on NATO Spending and Iran War at 32-Nation Summit
Updated
Updated · POLITICO Europe · Jul 7
Rutte Backs Trump on NATO Spending and Iran War at 32-Nation Summit
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO Europe · Jul 7
Summary
Mark Rutte said Donald Trump was right to pressure NATO allies to raise defense spending, modernize their militaries and launch war with Iran, in an interview at this week’s summit in Ankara.
The NATO secretary-general framed Trump’s approach as beneficial to the alliance, saying the U.S. president’s actions were “great news” for NATO and adding, “I just like the man.”
The remarks tie three contentious issues into one message from NATO’s top civilian official: higher allied military budgets, faster rearmament and support for Trump’s Iran decision.
Rutte delivered the endorsement during a 32-nation alliance gathering, giving Trump public backing from NATO’s leadership as allies debate burden-sharing and security priorities.