Key facts
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will meet President Trump at the White House next Wednesday.
- Rutte's visit comes amid U.S. tensions with NATO allies over troop commitments and support during the Iran war.
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth criticized NATO allies, calling the alliance a 'paper tiger'.
- The U.S. plans to reduce fighter jets and warships deployed for NATO's response force.
- Trump has long urged NATO members to increase defense spending.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is scheduled to visit Washington next week for a meeting with President Trump at the White House, amidst heightened tensions between the U.S. and its European allies.
Rutte's visit, set for Wednesday, follows recent critical remarks from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who described NATO as a "paper tiger" and announced a six-month review of U.S. troop deployments in Europe. Hegseth stated the review aims to ensure the alliance "moves fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading," though he did not specify if it would result in a drawdown of U.S. forces.