Nato must switch to ‘wartime mindset’, warns secretary general

Speaking to the BBC following his speech on Thursday, Rutte said: “Donald Trump was completely right when in his first term he forced us to spend more, he was successful, we are considerably spending more than before he became president, so in that sense he was totally right.”

This is why some in Nato call Rutte “The Trump Whisperer”. And that, they say, is a very big reason he was chosen as Nato secretary general.

Back in 2018, then President Trump famously threatened the US would “go our own way” if other Nato members – essentially in Europe – did not spend more on their own militaries. Then Dutch Prime Minister Rutte was credited with reasoning with the US president, assuring him that spending had already gone up and that he, President Trump, was the reason for it.

And now Trump is poised to return to the White House and Rutte wants to keep the US committed to Nato and European defence. So Rutte’s messaging to Trump is once again to flatter him.

As a former prime minister, Rutte well knows that Europe’s leaders hesitate to spend much more on defence because voters across the continent have other priorities – rising living costs, health, migration.

That, he told the BBC, is why he aimed his speech today as his “plea” to “people”.

“I’m really pleading directly to the one billion people living in Nato territory, and particularly in Canada and Europe, to ask them to help me,” Rutte said.

“Call up your politicians, tell them that you agree that yes it is difficult, it will mean somewhat less spending on some other items, but that you want them, your politicians, to prioritise defence, because this is long-term crucial…

“My plea here is if you have children, grandchildren, if you think our way of life should be preserved, the democracy, our values, then we have to prioritise defence.

“And if we don’t, in four or five years we are in real difficulty.”