NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged Thursday that he’s aware of criticism regarding his enthusiastic praise of President Donald Trump, but maintained that the American leader merits such recognition.
During a Reuters interview at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the former Dutch prime minister addressed concerns from officials and analysts who claim his complimentary approach toward Trump undermines Europe’s standing and its defense capabilities.
“I hear the criticism, obviously. I’m not deaf,” Rutte stated during the interview.
Rutte gained attention at a previous NATO summit when he compared Trump to a “daddy” figure during last year’s Israel-Iran tensions. His selection to lead the alliance was influenced partly by his ability to maintain strong relations with Trump, which diplomats credit with helping preserve NATO unity despite presidential criticism of the organization.
The NATO leader defended his approach, citing Trump’s instrumental role in securing alliance agreement on new defense spending goals. Member nations committed to allocating 5% of their GDP to defense-related expenses – including 3.5% for core defense and 1.5% for broader security measures. This represents a significant increase from NATO’s previous 2% GDP target for defense spending.
Rutte expressed support for recent U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran, describing them as “decisive action to take out this capability of Iran to pose a threat as an exporter of terrorism and chaos to the Middle East, to Europe, to the world.”
“I think if a president of a country is … providing that type of leadership, some praise is warranted,” he explained.
The NATO chief’s comments come amid escalating tensions between Trump and Spain. The president threatened comprehensive trade sanctions against Madrid after Spain refused to permit American military bases on its territory to support operations against Iran. Trump also criticized Spain for not committing to the 5% defense spending target.
Despite the dispute, Rutte offered positive remarks about Spain’s NATO participation during the interview.
“Their troops are part of many foreign land forces, many initiatives, many NATO missions. I really want to commend them for that,” he said.
When asked whether he had intervened in the Trump-Spain disagreement, Rutte indicated his preference for a measured approach. “When there are debates between allies, I always try to stay a bit muted, and therefore being able, if necessary, to help a bit,” he responded.
