Trump calls him a paper tiger, 'big boy' Rutte says he understands: Europe needs time to prepare
Rutte, Trump's 'big boy,' is once again defending his 'father.'
Previously, Trump was extremely angry over allied nations refusing to dispatch fleets for escort missions, angrily branding NATO without the U.S. as a "paper tiger"—a term often used by internet users worldwide to describe Trump himself.
Lately, Rutte addressed the issue on a program, stating that President Trump’s anger is understandable. He has communicated frequently with the president recently.
Rutte believes the reason the U.S. and NATO allies cannot reach consensus lies in an information gap. For security reasons, American and Israeli military operations cannot be disclosed to European allies; otherwise, the effectiveness of strikes would likely be severely diminished.
For Europe to understand U.S. intentions and actions, some time is needed—certainly several weeks. During this period, Europe finds it difficult to act rashly or send troops to join U.S. operations. Thus, he hopes President Trump can understand Europe’s position.
It must be said that Rutte truly embodies the role of a two-faced diplomat—while constantly explaining Europe’s stance, he never misses an opportunity to praise Trump. No wonder he’s known as Trump’s 'big boy.'
Similarly, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also expressed understanding toward Trump. Regarding Trump’s earlier remarks about Pearl Harbor, Motegi responded that he understood: Japan and the U.S. were enemies at the time, so Japan certainly couldn’t have notified its enemy before launching an attack. As for Trump bringing up old grievances, that too is understandable—sometimes words just come out that way, and the speaker isn’t deliberately causing offense. It’s not surprising.
It really must be said that Europe and Japan are truly considerate allies of the United States.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1860439491720199/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.