EditFlattery or strategy? Rutte walks a fine line with Trump
His political background as a long-serving Dutch prime minister has equipped him with the skills to navigate complex coalitions and competing interests
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is facing growing criticism for what many perceive as an overly accommodating stance towards U.S. President Donald Trump. His public praise and reluctance to openly challenge Trump have raised eyebrows across allied capitals, particularly as global tensions intensify.
Yet Rutte’s approach is neither impulsive nor unprecedented. It reflects a deliberate strategy that has previously been used within NATO to navigate periods of acute strain – prioritising cohesion over confrontation.
As crises unfold simultaneously – from Venezuela to the Middle East, alongside disputes over Greenland and trade frictions, leaders have adopted different approaches to dealing with an unpredictable U.S. president.
Some have chosen open criticism, including Spain’s Pedro Sánchez and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, while others such as Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Germany’s Friedrich Merz have also taken a firmer tone more recently.
At the other end of the spectrum are leaders who avoid direct confrontation, seeking instead to maintain influence through working relationships. Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and, most prominently, Rutte fall into this category.
The Dutchman came under fire after last year’s NATO summit in The Hague, where his accommodating tone towards Trump drew sharp reactions. A joking reference to the U.S. president as a “daddy” figure calming disputes among allies was widely seen as excessive and undermining his own authority.
Criticism has persisted as Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pursues military action against Iran. While more leaders have begun openly questioning Washington’s role in the Middle East, Rutte has continued to defend the U.S. position.
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However, portraying the NATO chief as uncritically aligned with Trump risks missing the underlying rationale. His restraint is not rooted in political loyalty, but in calculation. Rutte is well aware of the potential downsides of U.S. decisions, yet chooses not to challenge them publicly in order to preserve unity within the Alliance.
A similar approach proved decisive during Trump’s first term. In 2018, NATO faced one of its most serious internal crises, as the U.S. president threatened to withdraw over insufficient defence spending by European allies.
The tensions culminated at the NATO summit in July that year, where the risk of a U.S. exit appeared tangible. Allies had already committed in 2014 to raising defence spending to 2% of GDP, but progress remained slow. Trump escalated pressure, openly criticising NATO and demanding immediate increases – even floating a 4% target.
At the time, then Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European leaders recognised the seriousness of the threat. Trump had already demonstrated a willingness to withdraw from major international agreements, including the Iran nuclear deal, raising fears that NATO could be next.
Rather than confronting him directly, allies opted for a pragmatic strategy. They reiterated commitments to higher defence spending, which Stoltenberg framed as a success for Trump. The U.S. president left the summit convinced that his pressure had strengthened NATO – and crucially, without acting on his threats.
This episode has since been seen as a turning point, illustrating how careful political management could prevent a deeper rupture. The objective was not to win an argument, but to keep the Alliance intact.
Rutte appears to be applying the same logic today, albeit more visibly. His political background as a long-serving Dutch prime minister has equipped him with the skills to navigate complex coalitions and competing interests. His current approach reflects that experience rather than any personal affinity for Trump.
Indeed, past incidents suggest otherwise. During a 2019 NATO meeting, Rutte was caught in off-microphone remarks criticising the U.S. president – a reminder that his current tone is shaped by institutional responsibility rather than personal conviction.
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For European allies, the strategic options remain limited. They have little influence over U.S. domestic politics and are unlikely to build a credible alternative to NATO in the near future. In that context, maintaining the Alliance’s cohesion takes precedence.
While some leaders continue to confront Trump directly, others seek to shape outcomes through engagement. Both approaches coexist within the transatlantic relationship, reflecting different assessments of how best to manage risk.
The role of NATO secretary general itself helps explain Rutte’s behaviour. The position is designed less for political grandstanding and more for facilitating compromise among allies with divergent interests.
In that sense, Rutte’s conduct aligns with the institutional logic of the role. Like Stoltenberg before him, he is acting not as a traditional statesman, but as a mediator – focused on preventing fractures within the Alliance at a time of heightened uncertainty.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of this strategy will be judged not by rhetoric, but by outcomes. If NATO emerges from the current period intact, Rutte’s approach may come to be seen less as appeasement and more as pragmatic crisis management.
The original analysis in Polish by EUalive’s partner FocusEurope.pl can be found here.
Caption: US President Donald J. Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 22 October 2025. The leaders met to discuss continued support for Ukraine. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
Updated: May 6, 2026 - 05:23
