NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday he believes that some NATO countries were tested and failed amid Washington's criticism over European allies not getting involved in the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
Rutte's comments came after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House earlier in the day on 8 April, where Trump vented his frustration with NATO as relations in the military alliance reached a crisis point over the Iran war.
"He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point," Rutte said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper," after spending more than two hours at the White House.
"This was a very frank, very open discussion, but also a discussion between two good friends."
During the interview with CNN, the NATO chief was asked if he believed NATO countries were tested and failed.
"Some of them yes, but a large majority of European countries, and that's what we discussed today, have done what they promised before in a case like this," he told CNN.
Rutte spoke hours after White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt quoted Trump as saying of NATO, "They were tested, and they failed," during the Iran war.
Several NATO countries resisted supporting the U.S. military campaign against Iran by denying U.S. military planes use of their airspace or declining to send naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for energy tankers.
Without specifying the countries, Rutte said his own view was that "some" NATO countries had failed to live up to their commitments in the Iran operation but that "the large majority of Europeans" had been helpful.
The White House did not disclose details of the talks. Trump posted on Truth Social after the meeting in capitalised letters that "NATO wasn't there when we needed them, and they won't be there if we need them again."
However, Rutte said he pointed to Trump that European countries assisted with logistics and other commitments.
Yemen's air force carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets earlier on Friday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, Spokesman for t...
The European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus and European partners have put a six-wheeled Mars rover prototype through its paces in Spain’s Tabern...
Azerbaijan won 22 medals, including seven gold, at the Mingachevir Regatta 2026 as more than 100 young rowers from 12 countries competed in the int...
Yemen's air force carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets earlier on Friday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis denied targeting a power plant supplying energy to a mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel may participate in the investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, while investigators examine the motive of the co-pilot involved.
Swiss glaciers lost more than 5 per cent of their ice in 2026, making it one of their worst years on record as a dry winter and repeated heatwaves accelerated melting across the Alps.
Passengers from a flydubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft have arrived safely in Israel.
Russia has warned NATO that it would be prepared to use nuclear weapons if the Western alliance attempted to isolate Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, according to a diplomatic document seen by Reuters.
Governments from the Persian Gulf to the Horn of Africa are hedging against a conflict they cannot control, with contingency plans beginning to reshape trade routes, alliances and the regional map.
A supertanker which was cruising through the Strait of Hormuz was targetted by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman, according to an Iranian news agency which said the vessel was “violating” navigation rules at the Strait of Hormuz on 1 October.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking to foment internal divisions in Iran after failing to defeat the country militarily, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment