President-elect Donald Trump and NATO chief Mark Rutte discussed global security issues facing the Alliance, according to NATO. The meeting took place in Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 22, where Rutte also met with Trump’s prospective national security team members. Rutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands, assumed the role of NATO secretary-general in October.
The meeting between Rutte and Trump appears to be the first since the president-elect’s victory in the U.S. presidential race. Following Trump’s election win, the NATO chief expressed his willingness to work with Trump and emphasized the importance of NATO members increasing their defense spending.
During his first term, Trump had criticized the NATO alliance and urged member states to meet the pledge of contributing 2 percent of their GDP to their militaries. He has also indicated a desire to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war swiftly.
Supporting Ukraine has been a significant NATO project since the war began in February 2022. Trump’s past remarks on NATO spending and the conflict in Ukraine have raised concerns about his commitment to the alliance. Rutte emphasized the need for collaboration and collective action to address shared threats during a conference in Hungary.
It remains to be seen how Trump will approach negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war and whether he will continue the policies set by the Biden administration if his efforts do not yield a quick resolution. The Biden administration has recently announced additional arms support for Ukraine and reversed its policy on anti-personnel landmines.
Reports suggest that Ukraine has been permitted to launch long-range strikes into Russia, which has escalated tensions in the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced retaliatory actions in response to Ukrainian strikes into Russia. Could you please rewrite this sentence?
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