NATO boss, Rutte, believes Trump has backed, will back alliance

New NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is confident that the United States will remain in the defence alliance, even if Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States.

Rutte, in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on Monday evening, said he believed the U.S. and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris stood behind NATO.

The interview comes as U.S. voters head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president.

More than 75 million citizens have already voted, but the remainder of the some 240 million eligible voters need to cast their ballot on Tuesday for it to count.

Both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also the security of the U.S., the NATO chief said.

He added that a president must ensure that their country is safe.

Rutte said both candidates were aware that the security of the U.S. is closely tied to NATO.

Statements by Trump in the past had raised doubts about whether the U.S., under his leadership, would fully adhere to the alliance’s commitment to mutual defence.

Trump even threatened at times to withdraw the U.S. from NATO.

Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, took over the role of NATO secretary-general on Oct. 1 and on Monday was in Berlin for his inaugural visit to Germany in that capacity.

Rutte has a reputation for being particularly adept at handling Trump and reportedly has had a comparatively good relationship with him.

During a meeting in 2019, Trump said that he and the then-Dutch premier had become friends.