Mark Rutte heads to White House to contain Trump’s NATO volatility

The friction centers on the aftermath of the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, which disrupted vital oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has publicly berated the alliance for refusing to back his Middle East campaign and has questioned the necessity of the mutual defense pact. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently intensified this pressure, announcing a six-month review of U.S. deployments that could lead to significant force reductions, citing European "free-riding" as a core grievance.

Rutte, frequently dubbed a "Trump whisperer," aims to frame the alliance’s contribution differently. In a recent interview, he characterized the denial of basing and overflight rights by some members as isolated incidents, highlighting that hundreds of U.S. aircraft have utilized European bases to support Washington’s objectives. He plans to present data on defense spending increases to demonstrate that members are meeting the 5% GDP target established at the Hague summit last year. Despite these efforts, analysts warn that Trump’s unpredictable nature leaves the upcoming Ankara summit vulnerable to collapse, as the U.S. administration increasingly views European reliance on American military power as an unhealthy co-dependence.