Rutte says Europe responding to US calls on NATO support, base access

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on May 4 that European allies have responded to pressure from Donald Trump by stepping up cooperation on military base access and logistical support.

“Yes, there has been some disappointment from the US side, but Europeans have listened,” Rutte told reporters at a summit in Armenia, Iran International reports.

His remarks come amid tensions within the NATO alliance, as Trump has criticised some member states for not doing enough to support U.S. efforts in the conflict with Iran. In a further signal of dissatisfaction, Washington announced on May 1 plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.

While Spain has said military bases on its territory cannot be used for the Iran war, Rutte noted that other NATO members—including Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, United Kingdom, France, and Germany—were implementing requests for base usage and other forms of logistical support.

Rutte also said "more and more" European nations were pre-positioning naval assets, including minehunters and minesweepers, near the Gulf region in preparation for a potential escalation.

By Sabina Mammadli