NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with US President-elect Donald Trump at the Republican’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday.
In a statement released on Saturday, NATO said they met in Palm Beach and discussed “a number of global security issues facing the alliance.”
The meeting was Rutte’s first meeting with Trump since the former president’s re-election earlier this month.
The meeting underscores the importance of co-operation between the US and NATO amid growing geopolitical tensions. The change of leadership in the US requires a rethinking of strategies and approaches to solving international problems.
Earlier it was reported that Mark Rutte plans to discuss with Donald Trump the strategy of peace talks on Ukraine, emphasising the need to avoid concessions to Russia.
The NATO secretary-general has been pushing for urgent aid to Ukraine ahead of winter, emphasising that Russia could use winter as a weapon to undermine the country’s energy system.
Rutte also met with Republican Mike Waltz, whom Trump has chosen as national security adviser in his administration, and other members of the president-elect’s national security team. Waltz wrote on X after the meeting:
“A strong NATO that restores deterrence and peace requires all member nations to do their part commensurate with their economic strength!”
Rutte, who was prime minister of the Netherlands for nearly 14 years, was seen as someone who had a better relationship with Trump than many other European officials during his last presidency.
Earlier, the media reported that Rutte may visit Trump’s residence to discuss peace talks on Ukraine and try to convince the Republican not to cave in to Russia. There is also a possibility that Rutte will become Europe’s leading representative in discussions with Trump.
