Brussels [Belgium], April 3: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump, his spokeswoman Allison Hart told dpa in Brussels.
The visit to the US capital had been planned for some time, Hart said, adding that details of the programme would be announced in the coming days. For Rutte, the meeting is likely to offer an opportunity to try to ease tensions within the defence alliance over the Iran war.
Trump has recently voiced strong frustration that allies have distanced themselves from the US military intervention in Iran and have also shown no willingness during the war to take part in any possible military mission to safeguard oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to recent remarks, the US president is even considering withdrawing from NATO. In remarks on Wednesday to allies gathered for an Easter lunch at the White House, Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among other US allies, as a "paper tiger."
Other topics likely to be discussed include ongoing efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine as well as the NATO summit due to take place in Turkey in July.
At the meeting in Ankara, leaders are once again expected to focus on making burden-sharing within the military alliance fairer.Trump is demanding that Europeans take significantly more responsibility for their own defence in future.
Source: Qatar Tribune
