UNIPA News(WASHINGTON) 25 June — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte sought to ease tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on Wednesday, arguing that European allies had broadly supported the United States despite disagreements over Washington’s recent military campaign against Iran.

Rutte’s visit comes ahead of a crucial NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, where concerns over alliance unity and the future of U.S. engagement in Europe are expected to dominate discussions.

During the Oval Office meeting, Rutte highlighted increased defense spending by NATO members since Trump first took office in 2017 and pointed to European support during the Iran conflict, including the use of military bases in Europe by U.S. forces.

Acknowledging Trump’s frustration with some allies, Rutte described instances of reluctance to support U.S. actions as “isolated cases” and stressed that European partners had generally stood by Washington.

Trump, however, remained critical of several NATO members, expressing disappointment with countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain, while praising Poland for its contributions. Although he commended Rutte’s leadership, Trump reiterated longstanding concerns about burden-sharing within the alliance.

Relations between Washington and NATO have become increasingly strained in recent months following disagreements over the U.S. military campaign against Iran. Several NATO members declined to endorse the operation, prompting Trump to question the value of the alliance and publicly raise the possibility of a U.S. withdrawal.

The dispute has been compounded by growing pressure from Washington for European countries to assume greater responsibility for their own security. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently criticized what he described as “free-riding” by some allies and announced a review of American troop deployments in Europe that could lead to reductions in U.S. military presence on the continent.

Concerns among European governments have intensified as NATO prepares for its upcoming summit, with some officials worried that a significant reduction in U.S. commitment could undermine the alliance’s future.

Following his meeting with Trump, Rutte said the U.S. president remained committed to NATO. Nevertheless, Trump cast uncertainty over his attendance at the Ankara summit, suggesting his participation could depend on the role of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he regards as a close ally.

A key issue at the summit will be defense spending. At last year’s NATO summit in The Hague, alliance members agreed to work toward spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense and related security measures within a decade, responding to longstanding U.S. demands.

While several countries, including Germany, Poland, the Nordic nations and the Baltic states, have significantly increased defense budgets, disparities remain across the alliance. Rutte cited Germany’s plans to double defense spending between 2021 and 2029 as evidence of progress, while acknowledging that some members continue to lag behind.

The Ankara summit is expected to test NATO’s cohesion as leaders seek to address transatlantic disagreements, defense spending commitments and the future role of the United States within the alliance.