Donald Trump began his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, emphasizing that if someone else were in charge of the Alliance, ‘this meeting would not have happened,’ and expressed disappointment with NATO.
The former U.S. president expressed disappointment with Italy, Great Britain, Germany, and France, calling Spain a ‘disaster.’ At the same time, Trump singled out Poland and its president Karol Nawrocki as exceptions, reiterating that he had supported him in the elections.
According to Trump, Karol Nawrocki was ‘number 10’ in the race, but thanks to his support, he ‘won.’ Trump emphasized that he only needs loyalty, as the United States is ‘very loyal’ to its European allies, maintaining thousands of troops across Europe, including 50,000 in Germany.
Trump characterized the allies’ response to U.S. requests as ‘no, we cannot.’ He again noted that Poland ‘was very good.’
Support for Nawrocki and Erdogan
Trump also cited the example of Abelardo de la Espriella, who won the presidential election in Colombia last Sunday. According to Trump, Espriella was also ‘number 10,’ and he supported him, although he ‘did not like the man who was president at all.’ However, it is not specified whom exactly Trump meant in this context.
Describing Nawrocki’s victory, Trump called him a ‘fighter, a great fighter, a good fighter’ and added that his victory is considered ‘the biggest sensation in 50 years in important elections in Europe.’
Among the exceptions, Trump also mentioned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he said he greatly respects. Trump called Erdogan a strong NATO ally, stating that he does everything expected of him.
Trump announced that he would attend the NATO summit in Ankara out of respect for Erdogan, who personally called him to request his presence. ‘He called me, said: ‘Please, we have this in Turkey. You have to be there. The United States has to be there.’ So I will go out of respect for the president,’ Trump said.
When asked about the possible sale of jet engines and F-35 aircraft to Turkey, Trump replied that he ‘will probably do something that will make them very happy.’ Vice President J.D. Vance previously hinted that the United States is reviewing the decision to exclude Turkey from the F-35 program due to the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Rutte defends Europe’s role
In response to the criticism of the allies, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that Trump is partly right. However, he emphasized that many NATO allies have helped the United States, noting that 4-5 thousand aircraft took off from bases in Europe for missions related to the war against Iran.
‘I agree that there are reasons for disappointment. But I argue that if you look at the big picture (…), everyone did what they promised, and thanks to this, 4-5 thousand aircraft took off from Europe,’ said Rutte. He added that ‘it would have been very difficult with Iran without Europe, which serves as a platform for force projection for the United States.’
Rutte also emphasized that European investments in defense and arms purchases from the United States support American industry and employment. At the meeting, he presented a chart titled ‘the Trump effect,’ which showed the growth in defense spending.