Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who for 14 years ruled his country, winning the nickname of the “Teflon Marek”, sat on the chair of the head of NATO as a natural selection of European leaders. In their eyes, Rutte was to be the best prepared to navigate in difficult relations with the United States, especially if the Trump administration was to take the reins again in Washington.
Rutte, from the very beginning of his office, undertook the task of renewing the US relationship with NATO. DW emphasizes, however, that his actions have not always been transparent. One such case was a secret meeting at the property of Donald Trump, Mar-A-Lago in Florida, which took place before Trump took office by the president. Despite attempts to maintain discretion, these talks caused controversy.
A year full of challenges was not without criticism at Rutto. One of the disputed points was his attitude towards Trump's proposal to buy Greenland, a semi -destonne territory belonging to a member of NATO – Denmark. During the public debate, Rutte avoided confrontation, which, according to some commentators, showed too much submission. “It works quietly to make a change. So I think that if Rutte interjected and tried to say something, it would not be well received and would worsen the situation,” says former Pentagon official Jim Towsend, quoted by the German portal.
German media evaluate the secretary
As the German portal writes, Rutte also faced the challenge of maintaining the US's presence in the alliance at an active level. According to Townsend, the Dutchman, despite all reservations, prioritized the relationship with the USA, which was necessary in the light of Russia's growing position at the international arena. “He must do what is necessary for Trump to remain and actively participate in NATO,” says the expert “DW”.
The German portal estimates that the former head of the Dutch government went through his first year with strong emphasis on protecting NATO strategic cohesion, even if the expense was compromises and minor controversies.
