BRUSSELS, May 4 - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that European allies have heeded pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and are following through on agreements governing the use of military bases.
Trump has accused some NATO countries of not contributing sufficiently to U.S. efforts related to the Iran war. In a related move that underscored his frustration with European partners, the United States announced on Friday plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.
Addressing reporters at a European Political Community summit in Armenia, Rutte said that Europeans have listened to the concerns raised by Washington. He summarized the shift in tone and action this way:
"Yes, there has been some disappointment from the U.S. side, but Europeans have listened," Rutte said. "They are now making sure that all the bilateral basing agreements are being implemented."
Rutte noted that while Spain has publicly stated that military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war with Iran, other NATO members are complying with requests for basing and logistical help. He listed Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Britain, France and Germany as implementing requests for the use of bases and other logistical support.
Beyond base access, Rutte said that "more and more" European nations are positioning assets such as minehunters and minesweepers closer to the Gulf in anticipation of what he described as a possible "next phase."
Multiple European countries have also expressed willingness to participate in a mission to help ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz once the war is over, Rutte added.
Context and implications
Rutte's comments indicate a notable response by a group of NATO members to U.S. criticism, focused on practical implementation of existing bilateral agreements and the pre-positioning of naval assets to protect maritime routes. The statements reflect ongoing coordination between the United States and a subset of European allies on logistics and naval preparations tied to developments in and around the Gulf.
What remains uncertain
The article reflects public positions and reported deployments but does not provide details on timelines, the scale of pre-positioned assets, or the operational plans governing future missions in the Strait of Hormuz.