NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit Washington on June 23-25 for talks with U.S. officials ahead of the Alliance summit to be held in Ankara in July. This was reported by Euronews, according to UNN.
Details
The visit comes amid tensions between the U.S. and some NATO allies that arose following the war in Iran. According to the publication, Rutte seeks to strengthen transatlantic unity before the meeting of Alliance leaders.
Rutte assessed Trump's position on ending the war in Ukraine following the G7 summit17.06.26, 13:17
One of the key topics of the talks will be the restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following the conclusion of an agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
"Restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be a huge step forward,"
According to him, many allies are ready to support the initiative led by France and the United Kingdom.
Tensions over Iran
As Euronews notes, relations between Washington and European allies became strained after a number of NATO countries criticized the American-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Donald Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with the position of certain partners who did not support the operation.
At the same time, NATO sources believe that the conclusion of the agreement between the U.S. and Iran has reduced the risk of conflict between Trump and European leaders during the upcoming summit.
Europe must take more responsibility
At the Ankara summit, allies plan to discuss increasing defense spending, ramping up arms production, and transferring more responsibility for security in Europe and Canada.
"We need more forces, more resources, and a much stronger industrial base. This means a steady increase in defense investment,"
Rutte responds on what Ukraine can expect from the NATO summit17.06.26, 12:36