NATO Chief Mark Rutte: Trump Recommitted Again to NATO, He Made It Absolutely Clear that the U.S. Is There as an Ally

SCARBOROUGH Let s bring ░░░░░░░░ right now NATO Secretary ░░░░░░░░ Mark Rutte He is ░░░░░░░░ former prime minister of ░░░░░░░░ Netherlands and the longest ░░░░░░░░ PM in that country ░░░░░░░░ history He met with ░░░░░░░░ Trump at the White ░░░░░░░░ yesterday Thank you so ░░░░░░░░ Mr Secretary General for ░░░░░░░░ with us Talk about ░░░░░░░░ meeting and what was ░░░░░░░░ main takeaway RUTTE Well ░░░░░░░░ you for having me ░░░░░░░░ the program Joe And ░░░░░░░░ was a very good ░░░░░░░░ very good meeting Clearly ░░░░░░░░ president recommitted again to ░░░░░░░░ so he made it ░░░░░░░░ clear that the U ░░░░░░░░ is there as an ░░░░░░░░ backing up the alliance ░░░░░░░░ is extremely important He ░░░░░░░░ by the way do ░░░░░░░░ same the last couple ░░░░░░░░ weeks in other meetings ░░░░░░░░ I keep on telling ░░░░░░░░ European colleagues Stop worrying ░░░░░░░░ listen to President Trump ░░░░░░░░ to NATO and stop ░░░░░░░░ him about this So ░░░░░░░░ was very positive And ░░░░░░░░ we discussed this importance ░░░░░░░░ producing more weaponry The ░░░░░░░░ that we in NATO ░░░░░░░░ the U S up ░░░░░░░░ and including Turkey we ░░░░░░░░ not producing nearly enough ░░░░░░░░ keep ourselves safe against ░░░░░░░░ Russians and the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ of course we went ░░░░░░░░ into Ukraine and discussed ░░░░░░░░ some of the latest ░░░░░░░░ And I complimented him ░░░░░░░░ the fact that he ░░░░░░░░ the deadlock on Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ he started to dialog ░░░░░░░░ the Russians And I ░░░░░░░░ that was very important ░░░░░░░░ So Mr Secretary General ░░░░░░░░ will go back to ░░░░░░░░ of NATO and tell ░░░░░░░░ you are confident that ░░░░░░░░ Trump will continue to ░░░░░░░░ NATO RUTTE Totally And ░░░░░░░░ will tell them Put ░░░░░░░░ your television and listen ░░░░░░░░ him because they constantly ░░░░░░░░ I know but I ░░░░░░░░ tell them You have ░░░░░░░░ heard the president in ░░░░░░░░ meeting with Macron the ░░░░░░░░ president two weeks ago ░░░░░░░░ the meeting with the ░░░░░░░░ Prime Minister Starmer also ░░░░░░░░ exactly I think it ░░░░░░░░ two weeks ago again ░░░░░░░░ in a meeting with ░░░░░░░░ and in the lunch ░░░░░░░░ let s stop worrying ░░░░░░░░ NATO and the U ░░░░░░░░ But he also has ░░░░░░░░ expectation The expectation is ░░░░░░░░ the Europeans to continue ░░░░░░░░ spend more on defense ░░░░░░░░ by the way it ░░░░░░░░ happening So Trump 47 ░░░░░░░░ so far been extremely ░░░░░░░░ in ramping up the ░░░░░░░░ spending on Europe Today ░░░░░░░░ Germans announcing hundreds of ░░░░░░░░ extra You have seen ░░░░░░░░ agreement seems to be ░░░░░░░░ the German parliament on ░░░░░░░░ The Europeans last week ░░░░░░░░ billion So the billions ░░░░░░░░ now coming in on ░░░░░░░░ spending And that is ░░░░░░░░ not only because the ░░░░░░░░ want to have a ░░░░░░░░ deal and more balance ░░░░░░░░ also because we have ░░░░░░░░ protect ourselves against China ░░░░░░░░ against Russia.”