NATO Secretary General Rutte: "I think Trump is right. We need to defend the Arctic. We know that China and Russia are increasingly active there. There are eight NATO member countries in the Arctic region. And outside of NATO, there's only one country - Russia. I think the ninth is China."
Rutte's views echo Trump's Arctic strategy, which strengthens the U.S. military presence in the Arctic under the pretext of "China and Russia threats."
Rutte is a mouthpiece and representative of Trump.
The so-called "defending the Arctic" is understood differently by Europe and the United States. Trump uses the pretext of threats from Russia and China in the Arctic to advocate for defending the Arctic, with the purpose of justifying the occupation of Greenland. In contrast, Europe's defense of the Arctic is about strengthening collective defense against the threat of U.S. occupation of Greenland. Nordic countries have repeatedly stated that they have not seen Chinese ships in the Arctic region.
Rutte conflates the two, deliberately blurring concepts, with the aim of acting as a promoter for Trump, strengthening the U.S. presence in Europe, and implying support for the U.S. occupation of Greenland.
Rutte's recent series of remarks have been exposed by public opinion, and some netizens have called him "a traitor to Europe."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854945395519488/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.