NATO Secretary-Normal Mark Rutte, left, meets with President Donald Trump and different officers within the Oval Workplace on Wednesday in Washington. Rutte met with Trump forward of subsequent month’s NATO summit and because the Pentagon conducts a six-month evaluate of U.S. forces in Europe.
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures
Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker says European leaders count on subsequent month’s NATO summit in Turkey to proceed usually regardless of President Donald Trump’s newest criticism of the alliance.
As NPR’s Teri Schultz reported, NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte, who’s visiting Washington this week, is below stress to maintain the 32-member alliance united after Trump urged he would possibly skip the summit if it weren’t hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Trump has praised. Trump has additionally pressed NATO members to boost protection spending to five% of their gross home product.
Chatting with NPR’s Morning Version from Poland, the place he’s attending the Ukraine Restoration Convention, Volker mentioned European officers stay annoyed with Trump however are inspired by current indicators of continued U.S. assist for Ukraine, together with backing European purchases of American weapons.
“Look, there is an overall deeply seated irritation and frustration with President Trump over everything, but within that they’re kind of reading the tea leaves, saying, ‘Where are we going? Where now?'” Volker mentioned. He pointed to Trump’s reward of Ukrainian fighters and continued U.S. backing for European purchases of American weapons as encouraging indicators.
Volker additionally mentioned Ukraine has gained a bonus in drone warfare and Russia’s economic system has weakened. He anticipated the NATO summit could be “fairly smooth” and targeted on protection spending and navy procurement.
Take heed to the total interview by clicking on the blue play button above.
