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.
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