Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
NATO Secretary General Mark Werner will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. During his visit to Washington, which began Wednesday and will continue through Friday, he will also meet with senior US administration officials and members of Congress, according to an announcement from NATO headquarters in Brussels. The talks are expected to cover several issues, including preparations for the NATO summit scheduled for next June in The Hague, Netherlands, developments in the war in Ukraine, defense spending, and Washington's demand that European countries within the alliance increase their contributions and assume a greater role in the alliance's expenses. A telephone conversation took place between Rutte and Trump earlier this month. The talks between the NATO Secretary General and the US President come a few days after Mark Rutte's statements during a joint press conference in Brussels with Polish President Andrzej Duda, in which he addressed concerns held by some about NATO's future. Rutte said, "I know that some may have concerns about the future of NATO. So let me be clear: the transatlantic relationship and the transatlantic partnership remain the foundation of our alliance. President Trump has made clear the United States' commitment and his personal commitment to NATO, and he has also made clear the expectation that we in Europe must do more with regard to defense spending—and here, again, Poland is leading the way." During the press conference, Rutte said, "We are already seeing movement in the right direction." Last year, defense investment increased by 20% for Europe and Canada. And allies are actively working on what more they can do. In the past two weeks alone, Denmark and the United Kingdom announced major steps. Germany, France, and the Czech Republic have also taken important steps, most recently announced by the Czech Republic. I very much welcome these developments because our common security is our collective responsibility. As allies increase their defense investments, many are also working on how to contribute to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We all want to see an end to Russian aggression and an agreement that ensures lasting peace for a sovereign Ukraine.