NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington today, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported. The two will meet after Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in Iran.
During his visit to the US capital, Rutte, who is on good personal terms with the US president, is likely to try to soften Donald Trump's sharp criticism of alliance allies for their refusal to help the United States and Israel in their operation against Iran.
"He is coming to see me on Wednesday. He is a great guy. "The secretary general is great," Trump said of Rutte on Monday.
During his visit, the NATO secretary general will also hold talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
According to a NATO official, Rutte's visit was planned for a long time, and the talks will cover the agreements between the allies on increasing defense spending, adopted at the summit in The Hague last year, under pressure from Donald Trump. Discussions between Mark Rutte and the US president are also expected to include topics related to tensions with Iran and the war in Ukraine.
Tensions between European NATO members and Trump have risen noticeably since the start of the US-Israeli operation against Iran. The US president accused Europe of being "cowardly" and does not help to open the de facto blocked by Iran Strait of Hormuz - a key sea corridor through which about 20% of the world's oil supplies pass.
The ceasefire, agreed overnight between the US and Iran with the mediation of Pakistan, allows Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Tomorrow, as part of his visit to Washington, which will last until April 12, Mark Rutte will give a speech and participate in a panel discussion organized by the Ronald Reagan Foundation Institute. From Friday to Sunday, he will participate in the annual meeting of the Bilderberg Group, which brings together European and North American political and economic leaders.