Last month, Dutchman Mark Rutte formally took office as NATO’s Secretary General. He succeeded Jens Stoltenberg, who had led the alliance for ten years.
Donald Trump and the Republicans could celebrate a clear victory in the presidential election against Kamala Harris and the Democrats recently. Thus, Trump returns to the corridors of power in the White House in January.
The question now is what he will do with the US’s position in NATO. Trump has demanded that the European NATO countries must pay more for their own defence, but has also threatened to withdraw the US from the alliance.
– What preparations do you think Rutte has made against a Trump victory? And what will he do with the Trump issue going forward?
– I think Rutte will operate quite similarly to what Stoltenberg did, senior researcher Karsten Friis at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (Nupi) tells Dagsavisen.
– NATO is a cheap investment for the USA
Among other things, Friis follows Nato very closely.
– Rutte will try to sell Nato as an (alliance) that delivers – and is valuable to – the United States.
Friis believes the Dutchman will emphasize that it will not cost the US that much to be part of NATO, because European member states pay more and more for their own defense – as Trump has wanted.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has also pointed out the same to Dagsavisen.
– I think we will succeed in keeping the US in the alliance. I think the way to do it is to explain to the US and Trump why it is wise for them to stay, while at the same time showing that you pay more for your own defense, as many countries are now doing, said Eide to Dagsavisen in connection with the Politisk Pub event last week.
– I think his argument will be that NATO will be a cheap investment for the USA. There is therefore no reason for Trump and the US to do anything radical, because this works quite well after all, explains Karsten Friis.
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- In response to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine in 2014, NATO countries decided to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense.
- In 2024, it is expected that 23 member states will reach the two percent target.
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– Do you think Trump will listen to such arguments?
– You never know, but it went well last time, then, points out Nupi researcher Friis, and refers to Trump’s previous presidency in 2017-2021.
The role of the NATO ambassador
However, the NATO expert points out that America’s relationship with the alliance is not only affected by what Trump says, but also by the system he has under him when he comes to power again.
– For example, that you have a proper NATO ambassador who takes some management responsibility. One who is not “just there”, but who is actually leaning forward a bit. So this must also be reflected at lower levels, not just at the top, says the researcher and adds:
– Because if you have an absent NATO ambassador, day-to-day cohesion will also quickly erode.
The US’s current NATO ambassador, and then in the Biden administration, is Julianne Smith. On Wednesday, it became clear that Trump wants his former attorney general, Matt Whitaker, as the new ambassador to NATO when he returns to the White House, according to NTB. Whitaker was acting attorney general for a few months during Trump’s last term in office, after the then-president fired Jeff Sessions.
Trump refers to him as “a strong warrior and loyal patriot” who “will make sure to promote and defend the interests of the United States”. Whitaker will also “strengthen relations with NATO allies” and be the right person to stand up to threats to peace and stability, Trump believes.
The selection of Whitaker is somewhat surprising as the 55-year-old lawyer and lobbyist has no previous experience in foreign policy.
Karsten Friis has previously stated to Dagsavisen that he does not think Trump will pull the US out of NATO, but has also added that the American can undermine NATO very much.
– Trump will have a transactional approach that “I only help those countries that have paid enough”. In any case, the point is that Europe must do more for its own security, Friis said during a Nupi event in Oslo recently.
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Rutte congratulated Trump
Earlier in November, Rutte congratulated Trump on his election victory, and stated that he looked forward to working with Trump again.
– Trump’s leadership will again be the key to keeping the alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to promote peace through strength through NATO, Rutte said, according to NTB.
As Dagsavisen has previously mentionedRutte is referred to as “Mister Normal”. The nickname indicates, among other things, that the Dutchman is “a man with his feet firmly planted on the ground”, and that he is good at understanding what most people think.
In addition, the 57-year-old is known as a pragmatist and “Trump whispers», the latter for the way he handled the former US president in NATO meetings.
Politico has highlighted a meeting in the alliance in 2018 as an example of the relationship with Trump. Trump got into an argument with French President Emmanuel Macron and then German Prime Minister Angela Merkel about European countries not spending enough money on their own defence. In the end, Rutte broke in and found out that many countries were actually spending more – and said that it was Trump’s profit.
according to The Conversation Mark Rutte is also known for his ability to put agreements in place. He is referred to as a “dealmaker” after having contributed to solving several crises within the EU. In that sense, there is a parallel to Trump.
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Need to find out what the US and Trump want
The Danish NATO expert Peter Viggo Jakobsen has pointed out to Dagsavisen what will be the main instructions for Jens Stoltenberg’s successor:
– The secretary-general’s most important role is to contribute to NATO speaking with one voice, to ensure that there is unity in the alliance and that agreement is reached on important issues. It is also about having a sense of what the US wants and desires, and then working to ensure that the countries in Europe support this, said Jakobsen earlier this autumn.
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Facts about Mark Rutte
- Mark Rutte (57) is the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands – 14 years – from 2010 to 2024. He has led four different coalition governments and before that was state secretary in several ministries.
- Took over as NATO’s new Secretary General on 1 October.
- Belongs to the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a liberal-conservative right-wing party. As a student, he became involved in politics and became leader of VVD’s youth party.
- Trained historian.
- Born in The Hague on 14 February 1967 as the youngest of eight siblings and half-siblings.
- Is unmarried and has no children.
- Considered an alliance builder, but without the big visions. He has also been criticized for being more concerned with power than with principles.
(Source: NTB)
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