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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that in the long run, relations with Russia should be normalised after the end of hostilities in Ukraine. At the same time, he stressed that for now, the Alliance should continue to put pressure on Moscow to make it take the negotiations seriously.
“If the war somehow ends, Europe and the United States have to restore normal relations with Russia step by step,” Rutte told Bloomberg TV. “But we are still very far from that, and we have to keep up the pressure.”
NATO’s new reality: how Rutte balances the US and Europe
Recent weeks have been a period of intense diplomacy for Rutte, as US President Donald Trump has reduced his support for Ukraine and made it clear that Washington will retreat from its traditional role as a guarantor of European security.
This policy of the United States is forcing European countries to urgently increase defence spending and revise their own military strategy.
Last Thursday, Rutte met with Trump at the White House to discuss the possibility of a US-mediated truce in Ukraine. However, Europe’s role in these negotiations remains secondary, which is causing dissatisfaction among European leaders.
“We have to put pressure on Russia to take negotiations with the US administration and, of course, with the Ukrainians seriously,” Rutte said.
Rutte and NATO: How to convince Trump?
The main challenge for Rutte is to preserve the US role in NATO, as Trump has repeatedly stated that Europe is “sitting on Washington’s neck” by not spending enough on defence.
Earlier, the American leader even threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO if the allies did not increase their military budgets.
Rutte is trying to balance between Washington and European countries that face a growing threat from Russia. After Trump’s tense meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Rutte called on the Ukrainian president to restore relations with the United States. However, unlike most European leaders, he refrained from openly supporting Zelenskyy.
Defence funding: Trump demands more
One of the key topics in NATO is increasing defence spending. At the June summit, the Alliance is expected to try to raise the minimum spending level to 3% of GDP.
However, Trump is demanding even more – 5%, which most experts consider an unrealistic goal, as even the US itself does not reach this level.
Rutte, who has had a good relationship with Trump since his time as prime minister of the Netherlands, is trying to convey the position of European allies to Washington. However, the question remains: will the United States agree to remain NATO’s main military force, or will Europe have to look for new ways to ensure its own security?
