- Title: NATO chief stands by Trump praise despite criticism
- Date: 5th March 2026
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 5, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS JOURNALIST, ANDREW GRAY, SAYING: "I wanted to ask about your approach to President Trump because you have faced criticism for it. I mean, you've praised him for this attack on Iran, even though some NATO national leaders have made clear they oppose it. A Harvard professor in Foreign Policy magazine a
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: NATO Rutte Trump U.S.
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Europe,NATO,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001116905032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: FOR COMPREHENSIVE EDIT OF ALL TOPICS COVERED PLEASE SEE 1170-NATO-RUTTE/INTERVIEW
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte repeated his praise for U.S. President Trump's "type of leadership" as he spoke to Reuters in exclusive interview in Brussels, on Thursday (March 5).
Rutte has faced criticism for his approach of the American president, with Foreign Policy magazine accusing him of "going to enormous lengths to appease and flatter Trump".
But "if a president of a country is providing that type of leadership, some praise is warranted", Rutte responded, adding that it's thanks to the U.S. President that NATO members pledged to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defence. "I doubt that without President Trump, we would have reached it", Rutte said.
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