NATO's Rutte to meet Trump, aiming to ease tensions ahead of July summit

WASHINGTON — NATO Secretary-General NATO chief Mark Rutte is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, in talks aimed at easing rising tensions over the Iran conflict and U.S. threats to scale back troop deployments in Europe ahead of a key NATO leaders’ summit in July in Ankara.

The meeting comes as Trump, a longtime critic of the alliance who has previously described NATO as a “paper tiger,” has grown frustrated over what he views as insufficient allied support for U.S. operations in the Middle East. His concerns intensified following a U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on Feb. 28 that disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week criticized NATO allies for “free-riding” on American security commitments and announced a six-month review of U.S. troop levels in Europe, raising the possibility of future reductions. The move followed Washington’s decision to reduce some military capabilities made available to NATO in crisis scenarios, increasing pressure on European members to fill operational gaps.

Since returning to office, Trump has also escalated rhetoric questioning core elements of the alliance, including the mutual defense commitment, while at times suggesting the United States could reconsider its role in NATO. Earlier tensions were also fueled by his renewed interest in Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark, which raised diplomatic concerns among allies.

Despite the friction, Rutte has sought to maintain stability within the alliance and is widely seen by diplomats as a key intermediary between Washington and European capitals. In a recent interview with Fox News, he described instances of limited allied restrictions on U.S. basing and overflight rights as isolated, emphasizing that hundreds of U.S. aircraft continue to operate from European bases in support of American missions.

Rutte also said NATO members are increasing defense spending significantly and that updated figures would be presented during his visit to Washington. He is expected to argue that allied investment is rising, even as some countries continue to lag behind previously agreed targets.

The White House talks are part of final preparations for the July 7–8 NATO summit in Ankara. According to NATO spokesperson Allison Hart, the summit will focus on defense investment commitments made at last year’s meeting in The Hague, expanding defense industrial production, and continued support for Ukraine.

The alliance remains under strain amid concerns in parts of Europe that Washington could further reduce its military presence, a move analysts warn would mark a significant shift in the post-Cold War security architecture. Still, NATO officials say coordination with U.S. defense leadership remains active, and recent Pentagon engagement has been described in generally positive terms.

At last year’s summit, allies agreed to increase defense spending targets over the coming decade, but implementation remains uneven across member states. As leaders prepare for the Ankara gathering, diplomats say the challenge will be maintaining unity while managing diverging political pressures on both sides of the Atlantic. -Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington and Lili Bayer in Brussels; Additional reporting by Andrew Gray in Brussels; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Nia Williams/Reuters