Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the frontrunner to be the next NATO secretary-general, said on Saturday that Europe should stop complaining about Donald Trump and focus on what it can do for Ukraine.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump sparked outrage in Europe when he said he would not protect NATO allies who underspent their defense if re-elected in November. “We should stop complaining, whining and nagging about Trump,” Rutte told the Munich Security Conference.

He added: “It depends on the Americans. I am not an American, I cannot vote in the United States, we have to cooperate with whoever is on the dance floor.” He said that in any case, Europe should increase defense spending and increase ammunition production, while And not just because Trump might come back.

He said Europe needs to increase its support for Ukraine because it is in its interests. Rutte, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from Dutch politics in July, said he did not know whether he was seen as a front-runner to lead Nato and would not launch a personal campaign.

“And all the whining and complaining about Trump. I’ve been hearing this a lot these two days. Let’s stop doing this,” Rutte said. He added that he was “cautiously optimistic” that the stalled U.S. military aid program would eventually gain traction after speaking to U.S. politicians in Munich.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been in office since 2014 and is expected to step down in October 2024. His term was extended for a fourth time in July as the alliance’s 31 members opted to stick with an experienced leader rather than try to agree to Russia’s war in Ukraine raging on Nato’s doorstep and looking for a successor.

Before Nato decided to move forward with Stoltenberg, diplomats said Rutte would be a strong candidate to succeed him, but the Dutch insisted he was unavailable at the time.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a Yonhap news agency feed – Reuters)