NATO's Rutte shifts focus to Russia after Trump talks

What do you need to know?

• Meeting in Washington: Mark Rutte met with U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisors to discuss NATO defence issues and the situation in Ukraine.
• Negotiations with Ukraine: Rutte emphasized that the Ukrainians have taken action, and now Russia must respond to their initiatives.
• Defence spending: Rutte noted that NATO countries need to increase their defence spending to meet threats from Russia.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (ET). "There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really playing ball, and I think the ball is clearly in the Russian court now," he said.

He admitted that he does not know whether Vladimir Putin wants peace. He also refused to provide details on the concessions required of Ukraine and denied reports by the "Financial Times" that his visit to Washington was intended to dissuade the Trump administration from attempts to force Ukraine to accept an unfavourable deal, including the recognition of the annexation of Crimea.

Rutte reported that talks with Trump, his National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio focused mainly on NATO defence spending and the upcoming summit in The Hague. Negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine were also discussed.

Earlier on Thursday, Rutte met with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, and later had planned meetings with Waltz and Rubio. The meeting with Trump was not in his original plans.

Rutte also addressed the issue of the presence of American soldiers in Europe. He suggested that the U.S. might reduce its military presence on the continent, which he deemed justified. "We know that the US is completely committed to NATO. But I think it is in all our interest that we are able to keep this whole planet stable. For NATO to focus, of course, very much on our Euro-Atlantic area. But as I said, together with the US at 32, to be very much aware that the threats are not only limited to the Russians," he explained.

Rutte emphasized that NATO countries, such as Belgium, Spain, and Italy, must meet the defence spending requirement of 2 percent of GDP by the summit in The Hague. However, he noted that this is not enough for NATO to defend its territory effectively.

The NATO Secretary General emphasized that the approach is grounded in deliberate planning rather than speculation. He noted that the alliance has a clear understanding of the necessary capabilities and the areas that require strengthening to uphold NATO’s territorial security. Notably, he pointed out that increased defence spending by European and Canadian members is set to align with the level of U.S. contributions.