…But lately, some say #Rutte has gone too far. He has praised #Trump for going to #war in #Iran, even though many European leaders have called the war illegal & Iran is outside #NATO’s area.

“Did he need to compliment the president on the Iran war and urge Americans to support it?” asked Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to NATO under President Joe Biden. “Many feel that crossed a line.”

#NATO #geopolitics #NationalSecurity #GlobalSecurity

…At last year’s summit, #Rutte suggested that #Trump was the #alliance’s “daddy,” prompting the White House to highlight the remark with a music video. (Later, somewhat abashed, Rutte said that “daddy has all sorts of special connotations, and now I have to live with it for the rest of my life.”)

#NATO #geopolitics #NationalSecurity #GlobalSecurity

#Rutte once delayed a diplomatic dinner to sit in the car outside a Brussels brasserie talking on the phone to #Trump, said Thijs van der Plas, the Dutch ambassador to #NATO. (Asked for comment, a US official denied the 2 men spoke that often.)

Another time, on a visit to the White House, Trump ushered Rutte & his staff into the private dining room & gave them #MAGA paraphernalia that Trump compared in quality to a Lamborghini, an aide said.

#geopolitics #NationalSecurity #GlobalSecurity

#Rutte, 59, is tasked with softening those blows. But he is also regularly accused inside #NATO of pandering to #Trump, especially on issues outside his purview. His support for Trump has alienated some European allies, who…worry that he is not fully representing their interests.

Rutte & Trump talk several times a week, sometimes bantering about golf or world affairs beyond NATO, according to people familiar with their dynamic.

#geopolitics #NationalSecurity #GlobalSecurity