NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Florida to discuss critical global security challenges, a NATO spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.
The meeting occurred on Friday in Palm Beach, according to Farah Dakhlallah of NATO. During Trump’s first term, he pushed European nations to increase defense spending and questioned NATO’s transatlantic alliance, creating concerns among allies.
Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, expressed his intent to meet Trump shortly after his November 5 election win to address threats from growing ties between North Korea and Russia. Trump’s decisive victory has raised concerns in Europe about the possibility of reduced U.S. military support for Ukraine, which NATO allies consider essential for both European and American security.
Rutte recently emphasized at a European leaders’ summit in Budapest that nations like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia are increasingly collaborating, particularly against Ukraine. He also pointed out Russia’s role in supplying technology to North Korea, posing threats to both the U.S. and Europe.
Before the meeting, Rutte expressed optimism about working with Trump to address these shared challenges.
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