“We know that adjustments will take place, the U.S. has to pivot more towards, for example, Asia," Rutte said at a press conference in Brussels Wednesday.
Rutte’s remarks came a day after the Pentagon announced it has “reduced the total number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) assigned to Europe from four to three,” returning the levels of BCTs in Europe to what they were in 2021.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson flagged this change as the reason behind the delayed deployment of 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland earlier this month—a move which one Republican lawmaker had labeled a “slap in the face” to the European country.
But Rutte downplayed the tensions when asked by a reporter if Trump’s “surprise” announcements are undermining NATO’s deterrence. He insisted that the U.S. will remain “involved” with Europe, albeit with adjustments.
Instead, he said, the gradual process of redeployment will take place “over time as [European] allies build their capacity” and could take “several years.”
These criticisms come amid Trump’s wider ambition to reduce the U.S. spending on NATO defense that the alliance currently relies heavily on, something which Rutte himself seemingly agrees should happen.
But Trump’s criticisms of NATO run deep—and he has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the U.S. from the alliance altogether, which has been met with warnings from European allies and an impassioned championing of the alliance from King Charles III.
In response, Trump told Merz to focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and matters within his own country rather than “interfering” with the Iran war.
The U.S. President has clashed with Spain over a number of key issues—from NATO defense spending to the Iran war, which Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly called “illegal.”
Reports of a leaked internal Pentagon email, which reportedly indicated the U.S. was floating the idea of suspending Spain from NATO as part of a move to punish “difficult” allies, also did little to ease tensions.
Beyond this, disagreements between the U.S. and NATO allies over Greenland are still simmering, after major disputes developed earlier this year regarding Trump’s unwelcome push to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
It’s unclear if Rubio’s talks with European officials will serve as a step forward, but there is one leading force in NATO who has maintained a working relationship with the U.S. President.
Rutte’s strong relationship with Trump has persisted throughout splintering ties
The NATO chief took a measured response earlier this year amid heightened tensions between Trump and European allies after the U.S. President renewed his efforts to annex Greenland.
“When it comes to the Arctic, I think President Trump is right, other leaders in NATO are right: we need to defend the Arctic. We know that the sea lanes are opening up. We know that China and Russia are increasingly active in the Arctic,” Rutte said.
“I'm not popular with you now because I'm defending Donald Trump, but I really believe you can be happy that he is there because he has forced us in Europe to step up, to face the consequences that we have to take care more of our own defence,” he argued.
Despite some successful results, Rutte's defense of Trump—and his one-time use of the nickname "daddy" has earned him criticism.
“The President doing this is crucial… I really hope the American people will be with him, because he is doing this to make the whole world safer,” said Rutte, arguing that if Iran had nuclear and missile capability, it would be an “existential threat” to Europe and the stability of the world.
Rutte previously addressed how he is often critiqued for his praise of the U.S. President. “I hear the criticism, obviously. I'm not deaf,” he said earlier this year, but he insisted that the praise over Trump’s leadership is “warranted.”
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