Rutte’s stance came as NATO sought to manage tensions with the United States while the war on Iran has roiled alliance politics and exposed differences among treaty members on support for U.S.-Israel operations. During talks in Brussels, Rutte faced repeated questions about whether Trump renewed his threat to leave the military alliance, but he declined to confirm the question directly, saying only that Trump was disappointed with some allies’ pace of assistance.
Rutte said Thursday that his assessment of Trump after the talks centered on disappointment that the U.S. leader felt “too many allies were not with him.” When pressed again on whether Trump was threatening a NATO exit, Rutte did not provide additional detail beyond his description of Trump’s reaction, even as he acknowledged the underlying complaint about allies’ contributions.
After the meeting, Trump took to social media to display his frustration, posting: “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN.” The post sharpened the focus on whether Trump could escalate his pressure campaign toward NATO allies, including through threats aimed at withholding U.S. support.
The renewed friction has arrived against a broader backdrop of months of U.S.-alliance tension, including disputes that followed Trump’s threats over Greenland. Rutte’s comments also landed amid a period when the U.S. leader has criticized NATO partners for their lack of support tied to the war on Iran, and he has described some allies as “cowards,” characterized NATO as “a paper tiger,” and made comparisons involving U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Neville Chamberlain.
Rutte, who has been described as a “Trump whisperer,” has worked to keep the U.S. engaged in NATO since Trump took office in 2024, particularly as America has directed attention to other security challenges, including in the Indo-Pacific and Venezuela. The article said Rutte has used flattery by praising Trump for pushing allies to spend more on defense, and he has also avoided criticizing Trump’s warnings about what could happen if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In his own speech on America’s role in NATO, Rutte said, “allow me here to applaud President Trump for his bold leadership and vision.” He then criticized certain allies for being “a bit slow, to say the least,” in helping with the Iran war, a message aimed at signaling that alliance cohesion depends on members stepping up when the United States expects support.
Rutte also declined to confirm reports that Trump is considering moving U.S. troops out of European countries that do not support the Iran war. He said: “I totally understand that over time the U.S. wants more and more to pivot towards the Indo-Pacific,” leaving the troop-movement questions unanswered while emphasizing the trajectory of U.S. focus.
The underlying diplomatic constraint is that the Iran war does not fit NATO’s typical mission. NATO is a defensive alliance that protects its ally Turkey when Iranian missiles were fired in retaliation at Turkish territory, but the article said the war was launched by a NATO member and not by NATO itself. It said there is no public confirmation that the U.S. had raised the issue at NATO’s Brussels headquarters, though it added that it cannot be ruled out that a request was made.
NATO also declined to say whether security for the Strait of Hormuz was formally discussed within the alliance, directing questions to the United Kingdom, which is leading an effort outside NATO to make the trade route safe for shipping once a ceasefire is working. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Thursday that his country is ready to consider providing support “through NATO to partners who request it,” telling CNBC that officials would need an “official ask” so they could discuss the mission and goal and plan together.
Rutte insisted that NATO’s role remains limited to defending itself rather than taking part in conflicts beyond alliance territory, which he described as much of Europe and North America. The article said NATO has operated outside that area in the past, notably in Libya and Afghanistan, but NATO leadership is wary of repeating such operations given the chaos associated with the U.S.-led exit from Afghanistan in 2021.
While Rutte sought to keep NATO from becoming further entangled, Trump’s ire appears focused more on specific countries than on NATO as an institution. The article said Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war and refused U.S. forces the use of jointly operated military bases. It also said that after a two-week ceasefire was announced, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X that his government “will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.”
France, the article said, has been critical as well, insisting that the war began without respecting international law and that Paris was never consulted. It reported that French authorities have handled any use restrictions on joint bases and airspace on a case-by-case basis, as NATO tries to navigate a conflict that is reshaping how allies coordinate—and how quickly—when the United States presses for support.