The NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has indicated that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, is "clearly disappointed" with "many allies" of the Atlantic Alliance. He explained this after the meeting held this Wednesday with the US leader, in which, he indicated, he conveyed to him that "the vast majority" of European countries have "collaborated" with Washington, after weeks of criticism from the White House for the restrictions and reservations of partners such as Spain or France regarding US military operations against Iran.
"He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies and I understand his point of view, but I was also able to point out that the vast majority of European countries have collaborated with the establishment of bases, logistics, overflights and guaranteeing the fulfillment of their commitments," Rutte stated in an interview with CNN after the meeting.
Along these lines, the NATO chief has stressed that that "large majority" of European partners, including France, "have fulfilled what they committed to do in a case like this". For this reason, he has claimed Europe as a "power platform for the United States that has been fully operational for the last two weeks", although he has admitted that "not all European countries have fulfilled those commitments".
Rutte has gone further by stating that "NATO allies agree" with Trump on the objective of "eliminating" the "nuclear and ballistic missile capability of the Iranians", since, he has argued, "they pose a great risk to Europe and it is a matter of survival for Israel and the Middle East". In this regard, he has highlighted that "the entire world is safer (now) thanks to this president (of the United States) reducing those capabilities".
Nevertheless, this backing of Washington's stance contrasts with later statements by Trump himself, who, on his social network, has maintained that the Atlantic Alliance "was not there" when his country needed it and has predicted that "it will not be there either" when it needs its help again.
Watching the situation in the Strait of Hormuz
During the interview, Rutte has also been asked about the current state of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic enclave that connects the Persian and Oman gulfs. Iran announced this Tuesday the "safe passage" through the area, although coordinated with its Armed Forces, after maintaining a blockade in response to the joint offensive launched by the United States and Israel at the end of February.
Regarding this, the secretary general has indicated that it will be in the "coming days" when it becomes clear what is happening in this maritime corridor, which he has described as "crucial" for Europe and also for Asian countries such as Japan, Australia, Thailand or the Philippines.
"That's why the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has gathered this week the coalition (of countries working to reopen Hormuz), ensuring that, when it comes to answering the questions of what, where and when, with regard to the Strait of Hormuz, we can act collectively," he explained.
In this context, it is worth remembering that the United Kingdom has taken the lead of an international initiative to restore navigation in this key passage, after convening last week more than 40 countries to a meeting aimed at defining the measures to be adopted.