NATO Chief Mark Rutte Addresses Concerns Over Potential Trump Presidency and Defense Spending

 

Mark Rutte, the new Secretary General of NATO, has downplayed concerns about Donald Trump's potential return to the U.S. presidency, emphasizing that the U.S. would risk isolation in a "harsh, uncompromising world" if Trump chose to withdraw from the military alliance.

Speaking in London after meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rutte expressed confidence that both Trump and his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, understand the importance of continued military support for Ukraine. He also acknowledged the need for increased defense spending in Europe, with NATO members potentially setting new targets of 2.5% or 3% of GDP to address capability gaps.

In an interview, Rutte stated that he wasn’t overly concerned about either Trump or Harris. Describing Trump as “someone who wants to defend the U.S.,” he argued that NATO membership is essential for the U.S. to avoid isolation. Trump, who has previously expressed skepticism about NATO, has criticized the imbalance in defense spending between the U.S. and Europe. However, in March, Trump indicated that the U.S. would remain in NATO as long as European countries contributed their fair share.

Rutte emphasized that European defense spending must rise above the current average of 2% of GDP across NATO members, excluding the U.S. He suggested that a target of 2.5% or higher would help close gaps in military capabilities.

While the UK government under Labour has committed to increasing defense spending to 2.5%, Rutte urged Prime Minister Starmer to meet the goal as soon as possible, though the timeline remains undefined.

Rutte, who served as Dutch Prime Minister for 14 years, met Trump on several occasions and recently had a lengthy discussion with Harris at a summit in Switzerland. He expressed confidence that Trump, if elected, would continue providing military aid to Ukraine, despite his previous calls for an end to the war.

The Dutch NATO chief warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds in Ukraine, it would pose a broader threat to international security. He believes both Trump and Harris understand the importance of maintaining support for Ukraine.

Although Rutte did not offer new steps towards Ukraine’s NATO membership, he reiterated that Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” to joining the alliance, though the timing remains uncertain. He stressed that Putin has no veto power over Ukraine’s future within NATO.