BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the top of NATO have met for talks on international safety, the army alliance mentioned Saturday.
In a quick assertion, NATO mentioned Trump and its secretary normal, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Seashore, Florida.
“They mentioned the vary of world safety points going through the Alliance,” the assertion mentioned with out giving particulars.
It seemed to be Rutte’s first assembly with Trump since his Nov. 5 election. Rutte had beforehand congratulated Trump and mentioned “his management will once more be key to holding our Alliance sturdy” and that he regarded ahead to working with him.
Trump has for years expressed skepticism about the Western alliance and complained in regards to the protection spending of lots of its member nations, which he thought to be too low. He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. army and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has outlined American overseas coverage for many years. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to satisfy defense-spending objectives.
Rutte and his crew additionally met Trump’s pick as national security adviser, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, and different members of the president-elect’s nationwide safety crew, the NATO assertion mentioned.
Rutte took over at the helm of NATO in October.
