NATO chief says Europe should be grateful for Trump’s presidency

(MENAFN) NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that European countries should be grateful for US President Donald Trump, arguing that his pressure has pushed Europe to increase its defense spending.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rutte addressed criticism that he has been too accommodating toward Trump, downplaying tensions over the US president’s push to acquire Greenland. “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 of more of our own defense,” Rutte said.

He emphasized that without Trump, countries like Spain, Italy, and France would not have agreed to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense, a key NATO target. Rutte added that the new NATO goal of 5% of GDP by 2035—a target originally suggested by Trump—demonstrates the necessity of Europe “growing up in the post-Cold War world.”

Rutte’s remarks follow criticism over a private message he sent to Trump pledging to help “find a way forward” on Greenland. French MEP Nathalie Loiseau recently mocked Rutte as a groveling “McDonald’s employee of the month” for his flattery of the US president.

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