NATO secretary general backs Trump after Iran ceasefire: World is 'safer' than before the war

The secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Mark Rutte, met with Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting took place just hours after the ceasefire with Iran began, as well as criticism launched by the president against NATO. He even threatened to withdraw from the organization.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Trump also contemplated withdrawing troops from some NATO countries that, in his opinion, did not cooperate in the war against Iran. Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, shared with reporters a message from the president to certain members of the organization: "They were tested, and they failed."

In this context, Rutte visited the White House and met with Trump. He was subsequently interviewed by Jake Tapper on CNN. There, he described the conversation as one "between friends."

On the outcome of the war with Iran, the NATO secretary general asserted that today the world is "safer" than before the conflict began. He justified his response by arguing that the United States and Israel have heavily damaged the Persian country's military capabilities: "Degrading these capabilities is really, really very important for your and my safety here in The US, in Europe, in The Middle East."

"So the whole world is safer by this president degrading those capabilities. This is by many Europe acknowledged and they understand that continuing talking to get this done, it would have brought us potentially past that moment where we can still deal with it," he added.

Tapper later asked Rutte about the message Trump sent to Leavitt about whether some NATO members had failed, to which Rutte replied, "Some of them have."

"But the large majority of European countries, and that's what we discussed today, have done what they promised before in a case like this because they know that when it comes to NATO, it's there to protect The United States because US needs to secure Atlantic and secure Arctic and secure Europe to stay safe here, The US Mainland. But it is also there to make sure that, of course, Europe is safe and to to to to be this this this this platform of power projection for The United States," Rutte stated on CNN.