Rutte will visit Washington ahead of the NATO summit amid tensions with the U.S. and discussions regarding Iran
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to Washington next Tuesday ahead of the Alliance’s annual summit, which will take place in Ankara in July.
The visit comes amid strained relations between the U.S. and its NATO allies, caused by political statements from U.S. President Donald Trump and disagreements on a number of international issues.
In particular, tensions have arisen after Trump accused European countries of being unwilling to align with the U.S. position on Iran. According to media reports, some allies have refused to provide bases for potential U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
In response, Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from NATO, which has further intensified discussions within the Alliance.
That is why, according to sources, Rutte is planning a trip to the U.S. to ease transatlantic tensions ahead of the summit and coordinate the allies’ positions.
At the same time, the issue of maritime security, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, is also on the agenda. Rutte emphasized that restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be “a huge step forward.”
“Restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be a huge step forward,” he said.
He also noted that a number of NATO member countries are ready to support such efforts as part of initiatives led by France and the United Kingdom.
The NATO summit on July 7–8 in Ankara is expected to focus on increasing defense spending and expanding arms production, as well as on attempts to consolidate the allies’ positions following a period of internal disagreements.
This was reported by Euronews.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the United States would fulfill its obligations to defend its allies in the Alliance in the event of an attack, despite growing distrust of Washington among Europeans.
Russia may attack Europe if China invades Taiwan, according to the NATO Secretary General.
Before meeting with an American delegation consisting of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, dictator Putin stated that Russia is allegedly ready to go to war with Europe but has no such intention.
In the event of a Russian attack on NATO members, the Alliance could launch a preemptive strike against targets on Russian territory, according to Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
