(The Center Square) – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with President Donald Trump Wednesday, putting NATO on the defensive as the president has questioned the alliance's relationship with the treaty organization.
While it is apparent from the multiple exchanges that Trump and Rutte show an amicable relationship, the president continues to make his frustration with many NATO nations known, forcing the secretary general to defend many of the partnerships.
kAmsFC:?8 E96 (65?6D52J 27E6C?@@? ~G2= ~77:46 >66E:?8 H:E9 E96 >65:2 AC6D6?E[ #FEE6 AC2:D65 %CF>A’D =6256CD9:A :? AC6DDFC:?8 >2?J }p%~ A2CE?6CD E@ :?4C62D6 E96:C 5676?D6 DA6?5:?8[ 4:E:?8 3:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :? 255:E:@?2= 7F?5:?8]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D E96 =6256C @7 E96 7C66 H@C=5 E2<:?8 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 36J@?5 E96 D9@C6D @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 H@C=5[” D2:5 #FEE6]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 7=2EE6C:?8 C6>2C<D[ E96 AC6D:56?E C6>2:?65 4C:E:42= @7 >2?J tFC@A62? A2CE?6CD 2?5 E96:C C6=F4E2?46 E@ DFAA@CE E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ 24E:@? :? xC2?[ D2J:?8 96 H2D 5:D2AA@:?E65 :? >2?J[ 9:89=:89E:?8 E96 &]z][ v6C>2?J[ uC2?46 2?5 6DA64:2==J $A2:?]k^Am
kAm%CF>A D2:5 E96 &]$] 5@6D?’E ?646DD2C:=J ?665 }p%~ 2==:6DV >@?6J @C >:=:E2CJ DFAA@CE[ 3FE F?56CD4@C65 E92E 96 H@F=5 =:<6 E96:C =@J2=EJ 23@G6 2== 6=D6]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE H2?E =@J2=EJ] *@F <?@H[ H6’C6 D@ =@J2= E@ E96>] (6’C6 2=H2JD 7:89E:?8 7@C E96>[” E96 AC6D:56?E E@=5 C6A@CE6CD] “(6 92G6 E9@FD2?5D @7 EC@@AD 2== @G6C tFC@A6] x? v6C>2?J[ H6 92G6 d_[___ EC@@AD]”k^Am
kAm%CF>A 4C:E:4:K65 D@>6 @7 E96 4@F?EC:6D 7@C @3;64E:?8 E@ 2==@H:?8 E96 &]$] E@ FD6 32D6D E@ 42CCJ @FE @A6C2E:@?D :? xC2?]k^Am
kAm“%96J D2J[ ?@[ H6 42?’E 5@ :E] %96 EC@@AD E92E H6 92G6 :? v6C>2?J[ E96 EC@@AD H6 92G6 :? E96 &]z][ E96 EC@@AD E92E H6 92G6 2== @G6C tFC@A6[” E96 AC6D:56?E 4@?E:?F65]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 92D E@J65 H:E9 E96 :562 @7 H:E95C2H:?8 7C@> E96 EC62EJ[ C2>A:?8 FA E2=<D :? C646?E >@?E9D]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42? G@E6CD D2J E96 &]$] D9@F=5 C6>2:? :? }p%~[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 =2E6DE kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=6064fa24a2\6`d`\ca43\hcc_\2fd6dggd3g53]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm%96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 '@E6CD’ '@:46 A@==k^2m]k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu:7EJ\?:?6 A6C46?E @7 p>6C:42? G@E6CD D2J E96 &]$] D9@F=5 C6>2:? :? E96 ?62C=J g_\J62C\@=5 EC62EJ[ H9:=6 @?=J afT 36=:6G6 E96 &]$] D9@F=5 H:E95C2H]k^Am
kAm$:?46 E2<:?8 @77:46 7@C 2 D64@?5 E:>6[ %CF>A 92D AC6DDFC65 }p%~ >6>36C ?2E:@?D E@ :?4C62D6 E96:C vs! DA6?5:?8 @? 5676?D6[ H:E9 E96 &]$] 4@?EC:3FE:?8 23@FE Sfdb >:==:@?[ 23@FE `eT @7 }p%~ 4@>>@? 7F?5D :? a_ac[ 244@C5:?8 E@ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E2IA2J6C]?6E^?2E:@?2=\D64FC:EJ^9@H\>F49\5@6D\?2E@\4@DE\E96\F?:E65\DE2E6D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm%2IA2J6CD 7@C r@>>@? $6?D6k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E 92D 42==65 @? }p%~ ?2E:@?D E@ :?4C62D6 E96:C }p%~ 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E@ dT @7 E96:C vs!]k^Am
kAm%CF>A :?5:42E65 62C=:6C E9:D J62C E92E 96 H2D 4@?D:56C:?8 H:E95C2H:?8 7C@> }p%~] sFC:?8 2 3:=2E6C2= >66E:?8 :? E96 ~G2= ~77:46 @? |2C49 `f[ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 2D<65 %CF>A H96E96C 96 H2D C64@?D:56C:?8 p>6C:42’D C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 }p%~ 2?5 H96E96C 96 >:89E H:E95C2H 7C@> :E]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E C6DA@?565 3J 6IAC6DD:?8 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E :? }p%~’D =24< @7 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 &]$] DEC:<6D @? xC2?]k^Am
kAm“(6==[ x’> 5:D2AA@:?E65 :? }p%~ E92E H6 DA6?5 EC:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD @? }p%~] %9:?< @7 :E[ EC:==:@?D @G6C E96 J62CD … xE’D @?6 @7 E96 C62D@?D H6 92G6 567:4:ED 2?5 H6 96=A @E96C 4@F?EC:6D H96? E96J 5@?’E 96=A FD[” kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^G:56@0b_6gbb6g\`742\c332\36_`\354g56424f3a]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm%CF>A E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6k^2mk^DEC@?8m] “x >62?[ :E’D 46CE2:?=J D@>6E9:?8 E92E H6 D9@F=5 E9:?< 23@FE]”k^Am
kAm~E96C 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @77:4:2=D[ :?4=F5:?8 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 |2C4@ #F3:@ 2?5 $64C6E2CJ @7 (2C !6E6 w68D6E9[ 92G6 DFAA@CE65 E96 AC6D:56?E’D 4C:E:4:D> @7 }p%~]k^Am
kAmx? |2J[ H9:=6 2EE6?5:?8 2 }p%~ >66E:?8 :? $H656?[ #F3:@ 255C6DD65 E96 DEC2:?65 C6=2E:@?D9:A 36EH66? E96 &]$] 2?5 D@>6 }p%~ 4@F?EC:6D H:E9 C6DA64E E@ E96:C =24< @7 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 &]$] @A6C2E:@?D 282:?DE xC2?]k^Am
kAm“%96 AC6D:56?E’D G:6HD[ 7C2?<=J[ 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E 2E D@>6 @7 @FC }p%~ 2==:6D 2?5 E96:C C6DA@?D6D E@ @FC @A6C2E:@?D :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ 2C6 H6== 5@4F>6?E65] %92E H:== 92G6 E@ 36 255C6DD65[ 3FE E92E H@?’E 36 D@=G65 @C 255C6DD65 E@52J[” #F3:@ E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 5FC:?8 E96 >66E:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 D64C6E2CJ 42==65 E96 5:776C6?46D H:E9:? }p%~ @G6C 4@@A6C2E:@? 2 “492==6?86[” 9:89=:89E:?8 E96 5:776C6?E A@=:E:42= 5J?2>:4D 2?5 3F586E2CJ 4@?DEC2:?ED :>A24E:?8 E96 2==:2?46]k^Am
kAm#F3:@ 4C:E:4:K65 >2?J }p%~ ?2E:@?D 7@C E96:C =24< @7 5676?D6 DA6?5:?8[ 2 =@?8\E:>6 D@FC46 @7 4@?E6?E:@? 36EH66? %CF>A 2?5 }p%~]k^Am
kAm“$@>6 4@F?EC:6D 2C6 DE:== =288:?8[” D2:5 E96 D64C6E2CJ @7 DE2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E :D 6IA64E65 E@ 2EE6?5 2 }p%~ >66E:?8 :? %FC<6J ?6IE >@?E9[ H96C6 96 H:== =:<6=J 4@?E:?F6 9:D AFD9 7@C 8C62E6C DA6?5:?8 3J >2?J }p%~ ?2E:@?D]k^Am
