Charles Michel tells NATO chief to stop acting as an ‘American agent’

NATO chief Mark Rutte should stop being an “American agent” and unite the fraught military alliance in the face of the United States’ “hostile rhetoric” and “intimidation”, former European Council chief Charles Michel has told Euronews.

“I want to be clear, Mark Rutte is disappointing and I’m losing confidence,” Michel, who helmed the Council for five years up until 2024, said.

“I’m not expecting Mark Rutte to be an American agent. I’m expecting Mark to work for unity within NATO.”

Rutte, who famously called US President Donald Trump the “Daddy” of the NATO alliance, has gained a reputation as a Trump whisperer.

He added that the EU is a “very loyal partner” to the US and “doesn’t deserve” Trump’s recent “behaviour”, referencing the US President’s threats over Greenland.