NATO's Rutte 'not deaf' to criticism of his Trump praise, offers more
The Straits Times
BRUSSELS, March 5 - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday he was \"not deaf\" to criticism that he goes overboard in praising Donald Trump but argued the U.S. president deserved it. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BRUSSELS, March 5 - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday he was "not deaf" to criticism that he goes overboard in praising Donald Trump but argued the U.S. president deserved it.
However, in an interview with Reuters, Rutte also offered praise for Spain - a target of Trump's ire for refusing to allow U.S. military bases on its soil to be used in the American-Israeli assault on Iran.
Rutte, a Dutch former prime minister, was selected to lead NATO partly due to his strong bond with Trump, which diplomats say has helped keep the military alliance together despite the U.S. president's criticism of the organisation and its members.
But some officials, analysts and commentators have accused Rutte of going over the top in lavishing praise on Trump, arguing it is demeaning to Europe and downplays the continent's ability to defend itself.
"I hear the criticism, obviously. I'm not deaf," Rutte said in the interview at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
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