Rutte says 'I felt President Trump's frustration': We are in a period of profound change

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke at a panel organized by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington, D.C. In his opening remarks, Rutte addressed President Donald Trump's criticisms of NATO, stating that there is no question of the transatlantic alliance nearing its death or "whistling past the graveyard," but that the alliance is in a period of change.

Rutte said, "Europe is taking on a larger and fairer share of the burden of providing for its own traditional defense, and there will be no turning back from this. This is a transition from an unhealthy interdependence to a true transatlantic alliance."

The NATO Secretary General said, "Let's think about recent events. When the time came for the U.S. to provide the logistics and other support it needed in Iran, some allies were, to put it mildly, a bit slow. To be fair, they were also a bit surprised. President Trump chose not to inform allies in order to maintain the element of surprise for the initial strikes. And I understand that. But what I see today when I look at Europe is that allies are providing massive amounts of support, basing, logistics, and other measures to ensure that the powerful U.S. military is successful in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and weakening its capacity to export chaos. Almost without exception. Allies are doing everything the U.S. asks."

"We are in a period of profound change in the alliance"

NATO Secretary General Rutte stated, "The allies and I are aware that we are in a period of profound change in the alliance." Rutte added, "They have heard Trump's demands and are responding to them. The UK is leading a coalition of countries coordinating the military, political, and economic tools needed to ensure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. This is proof of a change in mindset."

Stating that NATO is becoming a healthier partnership with Europe's increasing role, Rutte said, "Thanks to the change in mindset that is taking place, I see a true partnership on the transatlantic horizon."

"I clearly felt Trump's frustration"

In response to a question during the panel's Q&A session about his discussions with President Donald Trump regarding the future of NATO, Rutte said, "I felt the frustration stemming from President Trump's feeling that not enough allies are by his side. I clearly felt Trump's frustration. I understand him to some extent."

Emphasizing that in his meetings at the White House, he told the U.S. President that the overwhelming majority of European allies are doing what was asked of them and what had been previously agreed upon, Rutte said, "Yes, sometimes it takes a little time, but what needs to be known is that there are coalition governments in Europe. Sometimes you have to deal with the domestic political front. Sometimes it can take a few days. But ultimately, we act together, and almost all of Europe has done this so that the U.S. can project power on the world stage through its partners in Europe. NATO naturally exists to protect Europeans, but it also exists to protect the U.S."

"Every country is looking at how it can contribute to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open"

When asked about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz following the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and the coalition of European countries that accepted leadership in the operation to ensure security in the strait, Rutte said, "When it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, the person who showed leadership here was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He said we must bring together a coalition of countries that can ensure the protection of the principle of freedom of navigation and free travel on our seas. Obviously, this means consulting with the U.S. on what the mission will be, where it will be, and when it will be. This is concrete support."

Rutte said, "Now every country is looking at how it can contribute to ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open. Of course, it is still early. We are only on the second day of the ceasefire. So, as we move forward day by day, we need to see what will happen in the shipping lanes."

"Many companies from Turkey have investments in the U.S."

In his statement regarding the cooperation of NATO allies in the field of defense and defense production, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, "There are many examples of U.S. companies investing in Europe. For example, they have built factories in the southern part of Bavaria (in Germany) to produce interceptor systems. There are many examples like this. There are also European companies like Thales and Leonardo. There are many situations where many companies from Turkey have invested in the U.S. and are working together. There is a transatlantic defense foundation, and there is absolutely no way to separate it."

"There is no reason for NATO not to help"

Regarding a question at the panel about the possibility of NATO playing a role as a coordinating force in the Middle East after the Iran war, Rutte said, "My answer to that would be that it should be done step by step. But quickly. The step being taken right now is for the 34-country coalition that met at the military level last Tuesday to begin detailed planning on what the Hormuz mission could be. I think this is the first step. There is no reason for NATO not to help. If it is going to be useful, of course we will help."

Stating that "a consensus among all allies is required to do this within NATO," Rutte added, "But still, if NATO can play a role, that would be great."

"The Strait of Hormuz must be opened"

Regarding a question about disagreements between the U.S. and Europe concerning NATO's obligations in connection with the Iran conflict, Rutte said, "I think the issue is what allies can expect from each other. I think rightly, the U.S. expected that if they had agreements with European countries to use their bases and other infrastructure in those countries when needed, then the countries would of course fulfill those commitments. The good news is that most of them did. Not all, but most did. Sometimes it took a little time, but most did."

Rutte said that the 34-country Hormuz Coalition, working closely with the U.S. under the leadership of British Prime Minister Starmer, also demonstrated a common commitment and consensus that the closure of the strait is unacceptable. The NATO Secretary General said, "The Strait of Hormuz must be opened, and once opened, it must be kept open. Because this is about freedom of navigation."

"Russia continues to advance at a great cost"

In response to a question at the panel regarding the claim that Russia no longer has the upper hand in the war in Ukraine and that the Ukrainians have made more gains than the Russians in the last few months, Rutte said, "It is true that Russia is losing a huge number of people every month. 30 to 35 thousand dead or seriously wounded per month. Can you imagine? I mean, the Soviets lost fewer than 20 thousand in Afghanistan in 10 years in the 1980s. Now they are losing that in three weeks. This is huge. This has to reach Moscow and St. Petersburg somehow."

Emphasizing that this will have an impact on Russia, Rutte said, "On the other hand, the front line is generally moving in the wrong direction, albeit extremely slowly and at an extreme cost."

Rutte emphasized that the key to unlocking peace in Ukraine is strong security guarantees to be provided after a peace agreement, saying, "At the beginning of January in Paris, all the countries that are members of the Coalition of Volunteers under the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron, including the U.S. and key interlocutors, held a meeting and agreed on a three-layered approach. The first layer is the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They need to be as strong as possible, and massive investments from Europe and the U.S. are needed for them to be able to defend themselves. The second layer is the Coalition of Volunteers, which is essentially Europe. Of course, there are also some non-European countries. The third layer is the U.S. providing guarantees to this coalition. This is a very strong package of security guarantees."

Announced that Greenland talks are ongoing

In response to a question during the program about the possibility of NATO giving Greenland to the U.S., Rutte said, "We discussed the whole issue in great detail with the President in Davos. First of all, I share the view that there is a major risk of Russians and Chinese becoming more involved in the Arctic."

Rutte said, "What we agreed on in Davos was that when it comes to the Arctic, NATO should play a role here."

Stating that the other point agreed upon was that Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. should continue bilateral and trilateral talks, Rutte said the talks are focusing on what would happen if Greenland were to change its constitutional status within Denmark in the future and on the issues of Russia and China gaining access to the Greenlandic economy.