'Does this affect your self-respect?’: Danish reporter confronts NATO chief over Trump silence

It is no secret that President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte share an amicable relationship, despite the former often threatening to pull U.S. participation from the alliance. During the recent NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Rutte was asked a tough question by a reporter during a press conference. "Mark, you sit next to Donald Trump in moments where he talks about conquering Greenland and talks about lashing out at allies like Spain," the reporter said.

"Things that don't seem like the old Mark Rutte would approve of. Does this have any effect on your self-respect when you sit next to him like that and say nothing?" he asked. Responding to the reporter's question, Rutte said that he always acknowledged when praise was due, and that President Trump was worthy of it. "I think we should praise Donald Trump for the fact that NATO is so much stronger," he said. "Of course it has to do with the Russian threat, it has to do with the war in Ukraine, but it very much also has to do wth President Trump."

Rutte claimed that President Trump was trying to do what former President Dwight D. Eisenhower did by ensuring that the U.S. and Europe become equal contributors to the NATO alliance. "And it makes Europe stronger. It makes Europe more relevant for the United States as a partner. So, that is the transformative character of this summit," he said. The NATO Secretary General also claimed to have spoken to Trump about Greenland and sought a solution to the issue of China and Russia gaining access to the north.

Earlier in the summit, Trump and Rutte attended a joint press conference, in which the U.S. President said that Spain was a "wasted cause" and that he would not do any trade business with the nation. "Spain is a terrible partner in NATO," he said. "Cut off all trade with Spain, please." On Greenland, Trump said that Greenland was "very important" for the United States but not so much for Denmark, which currently controls the massive island. He claimed that after the Danish leadership had asked Washington to take care of Greenland during World War II, the country's leadership of the time should not have given it back.

This was not the only time Rutte was asked about President Trump. Another reporter asked if the NATO Secretary General was concerned that the U.S. President brought up the matter of Greenland once again. This time, he acknowledged that he agreed with Trump's concern that Greenland could be surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships. "When it comes to defense of the Arctic, he absolutely was right, because there is a huge risk that Russia and China will gain more and more access to the Arctic," he said.

Rutte added that a deal to provide security to the Arctic region was made between Trump and NATO. He said that the seven countries bordering the Arctic: the U.S., Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway would work together to ensure the security of the region.