NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, tried to ease differences between Washington and allies over the war with Iran. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
During the talks, Rutte assured Trump that the dissatisfaction of some allies with the U.S. military campaign was only "isolated incidents," and that most NATO countries supported the U.S. To this end, he showed charts of the growth in defense spending by Alliance members and reminded that U.S. aviation used European bases during the operation.
Trump remained dissatisfied with the allies' position
Despite Rutte's attempts to reduce tensions, Trump did not hide his disappointment over the reluctance of some allies to support the military campaign against Iran and help ensure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the U.S. president positively assessed the work of the NATO Secretary General.
You really did a good job, and frankly, I think if someone else were in that position, we wouldn't even be meeting today
Reuters notes that the meeting took place ahead of the NATO summit, which will be held on July 7-8 in Ankara. According to the agency, concern is growing among European allies over Trump's statements about a possible review of U.S. participation in the Alliance and a reduction in the U.S. military presence in Europe.