NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit the US capital, Washington, next week “as part of a long-planned visit.” No other details of the trip have been released at this time.
This was reported to the Public in a comment by NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart.
“I can confirm that the Secretary-General will be in Washington next week as part of a long-planned visit,” said Hart.
According to Reuters, Rutte will meet with US leader Donald Trump, who previously stated that he was considering withdrawing the country from NATO because the European countries of the alliance refused to support the US and Israel's war against Iran.
Speaking to allies at an Easter dinner at the White House on April 1, Trump, in particular, criticized France, Great Britain and other US partners, calling them a “paper tiger.”
“We had very bad allies in NATO. I hope we never need them. I don't think we will need them,” the White House chief of staff noted.
As a reminder, on April 1, in an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph, Trump said that he was considering withdrawing the United States from NATO because the European countries of the alliance refused to support the US-Israeli operation against Iran.
He complained that European countries in NATO were “reluctant to help” reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil exports normally pass.