WATCH: Trump meets with NATO Secretary-General Rutte in the Oval Office

By — Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-meets-with-nato-secretary-general-rutte-in-the-oval-office Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Trump meets with NATO Secretary-General Rutte in the Oval Office Politics Jun 24, 2026 5:16 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, pressing the case for a military alliance that the volatile U.S. leader has sharply criticized as the Pentagon reviews the size of the U.S. military footprint in Europe. READ MORE: Hegseth appears out of step in criticisms of NATO allies Trump has slammed NATO, arguing the U.S. carries more than its fair share of military spending. But his grievances have been louder since the Iran war as he fumed over the fact that some member countries ignored his call to help him restart oil trade through the shuttered Strait of Hormuz. Trump has renewed his threats to leave the 77-year-old alliance, raising the stakes before the NATO leaders' summit in Turkey next month. But Rutte, who has become known as a Trump whisperer for his ability to charm the president, was looking to appease him Wednesday. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, Rutte pushed back gently, saying, "I know there have been isolated cases about which you are really disappointed, but generally speaking, your European allies have been there with you." Rutte also noted that 4,000 to 5,000 U.S. planes took off from bases in Europe before Iran and the U.S. agreed to a ceasefire. That followed Trump's comment, while introducing Rutte, that "they weren't too nice to us in our recent little military skirmish." Defense Department conducting a review of American forces in Europe The visit, Rutte's fifth since Trump returned to power last year, comes after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week lashed out at allies during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels. His department is in the midst of a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe. Hegseth echoed some of Trump's critiques, faulting European allies for not letting the U.S. use bases in Europe to attack Iran. NATO allies were not consulted about the war before the U.S. launched it with Israel on Feb. 28, and some have been openly critical of Trump's strategy. Trump argues that NATO allies were not there for the U.S. and suggested leaving the alliance, which was founded in 1949 to counter the Cold War threat posed to European security by the Soviet Union. At the heart of their treaty is a mutual defense agreement in which an attack on one is considered an attack on all. The only time it has been invoked was in 2001, to support the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The Pentagon's warning