“Where Would the U.S. Be Without Allies!” Trump’s Frustration Leads to Heated Exchange with NATO Chief (Trump NOW)

U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized European NATO allies in the presence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who visited him on June 24 (local time).

During a press Q&A session following his meeting with Secretary General Rutte at the White House in Washington D.C., President Trump named Italy, the U.K., Germany, France, and Spain, reiterating his claim that these nations failed to provide assistance during the war with Iran.

"We were disappointed. We didn't need any help on this (the Iran war). We literally decimated them in the first week," President Trump said. "But it would have been nice if they had said, 'We want to help, too.'"

Secretary General Rutte sought to appease the President by saying, "I fully agree that there was reason to be disappointed," while also clarifying Europe's position by adding, "I don't disagree with President Trump significantly on this issue, but I do slightly."

Citing Germany and others as examples, Rutte stated, "They fulfilled their bilateral commitments to the U.S. from the very first day of the war. As a result, 4,000 to 5,000 U.S. aircraft were able to launch from Europe. It would have been difficult to carry out the Iran operation if Europe had not served as a power projection platform for the U.S."

However, President Trump continued his criticism, telling European nations, "I just want their loyalty. We don't need their money. We don't need anything else."

"We are very loyal to them. We always fight for them," President Trump said, reminding the audience of the significant costs the U.S. incurs for stationing troops in Europe.

He added that the U.S. only expects "a little nudge and a little kiss" from Europe, noting, "But they say, 'No, we can't do that.'"

He also mentioned that candidates he supported in Poland and Colombia were elected president despite trailing in the polls, while noting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who did not follow his line, recently announced his resignation.

These remarks could be interpreted as an attempt to "line up" other European leaders.

Regarding Europe's increase in defense spending, President Trump said, "They agreed six months ago to spend 5% of their GDP. But most of them still haven't properly spent it."

In response, Secretary General Rutte countered, "We agreed to give them a few years," emphasizing that "Germany is doubling its defense budget between 2021 and 2029," and adding that the Netherlands, Poland, and Denmark are doing the same.

Rutte's visit is interpreted as a move to meet with President Trump ahead of the annual NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 – 8 to ease the heightened tensions between the U.S. and its European allies.

President Trump had previously hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from NATO, arguing that allies turned their backs when the U.S. needed help, after some European nations refused to allow the use of their bases for U.S. military assets during the Iran war and rejected deployments to the Strait of Hormuz.

Reported by JIN Sang-myeong | Video by Hong Jin-young | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.