By Reuters Feb. 17, 2024 – US News and World Report
REUTERS
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte shake hands before their meeting at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany February 17, 2024. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
By John Irish
MUNICH (Reuters) – Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the frontrunner to be the next secretary-general of NATO, said on Saturday that Europe should stop whining about Donald Trump and focus instead on what it could do for Ukraine.
Former U.S. President Trump has sparked outrage in Europe, saying that if re-elected in November he would not defend NATO allies who fail to spend enough on defense.
“We should stop moaning and whining and nagging about Trump,” Rutte told the Munich Security Conference.
He added: “It’s up to the Americans. I’m not an American, I cannot vote in the U.S. We have to work with whoever is on the dance floor.”
He said Europe should in any case be spending more on defence and ramping up ammunitions production, not just because Trump might come back.
He said Europe needed to increase its support for Ukraine because it was in its interests.
Rutte, who unexpectedly announced his departure from Dutch politics in July, has said he does not know if he is being considered a front-runner to lead NATO and would not start a personal campaign.
“And all that whining and moaning about Trump. I hear that constantly over the last couple of days. Let’s stop doing that,” Rutte said, adding that after talking with U.S. politicians in Munich he was “cautiously optimistic” that a U.S. military aid package that has stalled would eventually pass.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been in post since 2014 and is due to step down in October 2024.
His term was extended in July for a fourth time, as the alliance’s 31 members opted to stick with an experienced leader rather than try to agree on a successor with Russia’s war in Ukraine raging on NATO’s doorstep.
Before NATO decided to stick with Stoltenberg, diplomats said Rutte would have been a strong candidate to succeed him, but the Dutchman had insisted he was not available at that time.
(Reporting by John Irish; editing by Giles Elgood)
Sage words. Rutte sounds like a good pick for NATO although I don’t know much about him.
We will starting this Fall when he starts running NATO. So far, I think he’s stronger than the last two.
Sound advice for those who claim to support Ukraine, especially non-US citizens.
“It’s up to the Americans. I’m not an American, I cannot vote in the U.S. We have to work with whoever is on the dance floor.”
Bingo. Ukraine doesn’t care who’s president as long as Biden and Trump both support Ukraine so why should we?
Trump supports Ukraine? Rutte surely supports Erdogan.
Erdogan called Mark Rutte a nazi in public.
I don’t think they are friends.
^bert
Because Trump does not support Ukraine, that’s why.
And please, not another TrUmP sEnT JaVeLiNs non-argument.
that one is too cheap.
^bert
Good advice. To give so much publicity to a troll like Trump serves only as encouragement. That’s totally counterproductive.
One more point about Trump’s trolling: His hardcore base hates liberals, loves to annoy them, and has a rather anti-EU attitude. Thus, by picking Trump’s rants up and opposing his crazy ideas, European leaders actually help him to get free campaign advertising in the media. That’s rather counterproductive.
Rutte is referring to Trump’s comments about those Nato members who don’t allocate 2% of their GDP to defence:
“Trump took his criticism to a new level at a campaign rally on Saturday in Conway, South Carolina, when he recounted what he said was a conversation with the “president of a big country”.
“Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia – will you protect us?” Trump quoted the unnamed leader as saying.
“I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said: ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,” Trump said.”
……
“I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want….”
That is tantamount to saying : “if you don’t do what I tell you, I will send a bunch of savages to murder you, rape your kids and burn your house down.”
Rutte makes no reference to Trump’s Ukraine policy. It is partition, which Trump has been talking about since at least 2015; probably earlier.
Rutte makes no reference as to why US-Ukraine Aid has been blocked for four months. That block and the thousands of needless Ukrainian deaths caused by it is entirely down to Trump. He could call it off, but he has no intention to do so.
Mark Laity:
“Heads of state do not call other heads of state ‘sir’ – as their nation’s senior representative they do not use terms that subordinate their country to another. This is especially so in a forum like NATO, where consensus rules and each country sits around an oval table arranged in alphabetical order. The US maybe first among equals, but they are still equals and address each other as such. Can anyone imagine a ‘president(s) of a big country’ – Merkel, Macron et al – calling Trump sir?
In NATO forums, ministers, heads of state, ambassadors, etc, never stand up to speak. They sit around that oval table and use the microphone in front of them. As a staffer I’ve been in multiple summits, ministerials etc, so I know. All this is before we consider whether the president of a big state would admit to being ‘delinquent’, which also ignores that NATO is not some club with a subscription fee, so you can’t be delinquent.”
“Trump made it up.”
Rutte is right that Europe must increase it own defense, and not just by a little. But, he’s wrong about Trump. At least the Ukrainians that I know are very concerned about another Trump presidency, and so am I. Europe is slowly shifting to higher gears, but it’s a low horsepower clunker, and it takes time to even come close to what the US can provide.
And, just think; he’s far from being in the White House, yet has already caused chaos. He and his buddies have caused an additional X amount of Ukrainian casualties and losses of territories.
Ergo, unless something positive happens in this regard, I will continue fighting the orange baboon and his gang in Congress.
I don’t think he is wrong.
His point is that as a European you shouldn’t invest too much efforts in things you cannot control.
It is more productive to talk about how you can make up for the lost deliveries from the U.S. rather than focussing on
some idiots in the U.S.
Mark Rutte has no control over what the U.S. decides to give but he can control what comes from Dutch stocks for example.
His point is that you shouldn’t be apathetically watching the U.S. but do something yourself.
^bert
I agree that the Europeans can’t do anything about another orange presidency, but it’s not a good idea to totally ignore it. The Europeans must develop a strategy that includes a possible NATO exit and other aspects that will or might make up a Trump administration. Europe already has been caught with its pants down too many times, in my opinion.