IRIA News

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on March 13, 2025, to secure American commitment to NATO and support for Ukraine.

The discussions between the two leaders aimed to ensure that the transatlantic alliance remains strong amid evolving global threats and shifting defense priorities.

The meeting opened on a positive note, with Trump expressing his admiration for the former Dutch prime minister, who has earned a reputation for handling the unpredictable U.S. president with a steady hand.

US taking over Greenland

“I think it will happen,” Trump said, gesturing towards Rutte and adding, “I didn’t give it much thought before but I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental” in the move to potentially absorb Greenland, a provocative idea aimed at strengthening U.S. strategic positioning in the Arctic.

Trump elaborated on the importance of the region: “You know, Mark, we need that for international security, we have a lot of our favorite players cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful,” referring to the growing interests of China and Russia in the Arctic.

"When I first went to @NATO… I noticed that very few people were paying—and if they were, they weren't paying their fair share… I was able to raise hundreds of billions of dollars… the money started pouring in and NATO became much stronger because of my actions.” –… pic.twitter.com/sbT5OIPOxt

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 13, 2025

The comment was met with a reserved smile from the NATO chief, who admitted that he preferred to remain “outside this discussion” regarding the controversial idea of Greenland joining the United States. “I don’t want to drag NATO in that,” he explained, emphasizing the complexity of involving the alliance in such strategic realignments.

NATO defense spending

Despite the high-energy start, the conversation soon shifted focus to a subject that has long fueled transatlantic tensions of the NATO nations’ defense spending. Trump criticized allies for their failure to meet agreed defense expenditure targets.

“When I first went to NATO, I noticed that very few people were paying,” he recalled, highlighting how, during his previous term, he had managed to increase contributions significantly. “I was able to raise hundreds of billions of dollars, the money started pouring in, and NATO became much stronger because of my actions.”

The NATO Secretary General, known for his diplomatic tact, acknowledged the need for reform within NATO. He stressed that core allies, including Britain and Germany, were now committing to increased defense spending.

This commitment, however, comes at a time when the alliance faces mounting challenges from Russian ambitions. “NATO is stepping up,” Trump declared, adding, “This man is a man that only knows how to step up,” pointing out Rutte’s role in increasing European nations’ contribution to the alliance’s overall defense spending.

Defense production

The discussions also ventured into the domain of defense production, a topic of growing importance as global security dynamics continue to shift. The NATO Chief underlined the urgent need for both the United States and European countries to ramp up the production of weaponry.

“We’re not doing enough, and not in the U.S., not in Europe, and we are lagging when you compare to the Russians and the Chinese,” he warned.

He pointed out that while Europeans are buying four times more from the U.S. than the U.S. is buying from Europe, both sides must work together to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that impede swift production enhancements.

Ukraine peace efforts

Ukraine also featured prominently in the talks, with both leaders recognizing the critical nature of brokering a peace deal amid ongoing conflict. Trump praised the diplomatic efforts that had “broken the deadlock” in the region.

NATO Chief echoed this sentiment, stressing the heavy human and infrastructural cost of the conflict: “all the killing, the young people dying, cities getting destroyed.” He commended Trump’s initiation of dialogue with the Russians and the recent successful talks in Saudi Arabia as pivotal steps towards stabilizing the region.

The meeting concluded on an optimistic note, with plans for further discussions in the coming months. The former prime minister extended an invitation for a follow-up meeting at the upcoming 2025 NATO summit, which is set to be hosted in the Netherlands. “The Hague is my hometown,” he said, adding that “I would love to host you there in the summer and work together to make sure that it will be a splash, a real success projecting American power on the world stage.”