NATO chief tells allies ‘Trump was right’

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has one message for NATO allies about Donald Trump: The US president was right.

He was right on pressing NATO allies to boost defense spending, he was right in getting them to modernize their militaries, and he was right to launch a war with Iran, Rutte told Politico in an interview for “The Conversation with Dasha Burns” podcast at this week’s alliance leaders’ summit in the Turkish capital.

“I just like the man. I think what he is doing for NATO is great news,” Rutte said.

“President Trump [is] basically achieving what, since Eisenhower, American presidents tried to achieve, which is to equalize the defense spending between the US and Europe,” Rutte added.

He noted that the NATO summit being held in Ankara on July 7-8 this year would be “transformational” for the alliance.