NATO chief Mark Rutte held discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Friday, focusing on “global security issues facing the alliance,” according to NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah.
The meeting, held in Palm Beach, comes as concerns grow over Trump’s return to the presidency. During his first term, Trump criticised Europe for insufficient defence spending and questioned NATO’s transatlantic alliance.
Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, had expressed a desire to meet Trump shortly after his election on November 5 to address rising tensions surrounding closer ties between North Korea and Russia.
Trump’s decisive victory has raised concerns in Europe over the potential withdrawal of crucial US military support for Ukraine. NATO allies stress that sustaining Kyiv’s resistance against Moscow is essential for European and American security.
“We are increasingly seeing North Korea, Iran, China, and, of course, Russia working together against Ukraine,” Rutte recently stated at a European leaders’ summit in Budapest.
He further warned that Russia is aiding North Korea by supplying technology, posing threats not only to the US mainland but also to continental Europe.
“I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can address these threats collectively,” Rutte added.
AFP
