NATO Secretary-General Rutte to meet Trump at White House amid defence spending review
Mark Rutte aims to reassure President Donald Trump regarding allied support for US operations in the Middle East and present data on increased defence investment as the Pentagon reviews its European military footprint.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is scheduled to hold talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, in a bid to ease tensions ahead of the alliance's annual summit in Ankara on 7-8 July. The meeting occurs as the Pentagon conducts a six-month review of US troop deployments in Europe, following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that the size of the American military footprint may be reduced.
Rutte intends to reassure Trump regarding NATO members' support for US operations, including those in the Middle East, and to highlight increased defence spending by allies. The Secretary-General plans to reveal "huge" numbers regarding allied defence spending increases during the Wednesday meeting, aiming to characterise reports of NATO members denying US basing and overflight rights as "isolated" incidents.
The diplomatic effort comes as Trump, a longtime critic who has previously called the alliance a "paper tiger," has been angered by its reluctance to support the US in the Middle East conflict or help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after a US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February disrupted the major oil shipping route. Rutte has described the denial of rights by some members as isolated, noting that hundreds of US planes have taken off from European bases to support Washington's war efforts.
Tensions have escalated in recent months, with Trump questioning the US mutual defence pact and considering leaving the alliance after NATO allies refused to back his Iran campaign. Rutte has previously managed the president's hostility, including a dispute over Greenland belonging to fellow member Denmark, steering the alliance back from crisis. Stephen Wertheim of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted the high risk of the upcoming summit due to Trump's erratic nature.
The NATO summit in Ankara will focus on how allies are delivering on commitments made at the previous summit in The Hague, including increasing defense investment and expanding defense industrial production. While some European countries have sharply increased spending, others have lagged behind, and the US believes there is an "unhealthy co-dependence" by Europe on US forces. Rutte is also expected to meet with members of the US Congress during his visit.
