US President Donald Trump said he was “absolutely disappointed” after a White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, following the US-Israeli campaign against Iran in which most NATO allies did not take an active role.
Shortly after the closed-door talks, Trump posted on Truth Social: “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN.” Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister often described as a “Trump whisperer,” later told CNN the conversation was frank and open and took place between “two good friends.”
The meeting came a day after the United States and Iran agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire. Trump has repeatedly called NATO a “paper tiger” and has threatened to withdraw the US from the 32-member alliance. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the president again raised the possibility of leaving NATO ahead of the meeting. The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is considering punitive measures against certain NATO members, including repositioning US troops in countries he views as unhelpful during the Iran conflict.
When CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Rutte whether Trump had said the US would quit NATO, Rutte avoided a direct answer but emphasized the president’s disappointment. “Let me be clear, he is absolutely disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte said. He also noted that most European countries had been helpful with basing, logistics and overflights, and that many lived up to their commitments. Rutte pointed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s efforts to bring 34 countries together to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping.
Trump publicly stated that NATO members “were tested, and they failed.” Rutte acknowledged that some allies had not met expectations but said the overall picture was more nuanced, with a large majority of European nations fulfilling their obligations. “What the US did with Iran, they could do because so many European countries lived up to those commitments,” he said.
The Iran conflict has heightened transatlantic strains already driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine, past tensions over Trump’s remarks about Greenland, and US demands for higher European defense spending. A NATO spokesperson later posted on X that Rutte had underscored the importance of allies continuing to step up to deliver a “stronger, fairer alliance.”
Edited by: Sean Sinico