NATO's Rutte says he told Trump to "keep your chin up" after the midterm defeat

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he sent President Donald Trump a short note after Republicans' heavy losses in the U.S. midterm elections, telling him to keep his chin up. Rutte stressed that America is indispensable to Europe's defense and said Europe is "not innocent either" when it comes to buying Russian energy.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says he reached out to President Donald Trump the day after Republicans suffered sweeping losses in the U.S. midterm elections, with a brief message of encouragement. "I sent Trump a short message the next day. In short: 'Keep your chin up, and we carry on,'" Rutte said Thursday in an interview on the Dutch television program Pauw & De Wit, as reported by Bloomberg.

Rutte used the interview to underline how much Europe still depends on Washington. "America alone is bigger than all the other 31 allies combined," he said. "The Americans are vital for Europe's defense and for supporting Ukraine in Russia's war against it. We really cannot do without them."

In this clip, Rutte describes the message he sent Trump after the Nov. 3 election and explains why, in his view, the United States remains the backbone of the alliance. According to Bloomberg, he also described NATO as a platform for the Americans to project their power, which he said is very much in Europe's interest because Europe is not yet able to do that on its own.

"Europe is not innocent either"

Rutte was also asked about Trump's agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow imports of Russian diesel into the United States, a deal that has alarmed European capitals. He acknowledged the unease but pointed to Europe's own purchases of Russian energy. "I understand the panic in Europe over that diesel deal. I raised an eyebrow myself," he said. "But in the first half of this year, Europe bought €6 billion worth of LNG from Russia. That is much more than the diesel deal will ever generate. So Europe is not innocent either."

The diesel arrangement has already run into practical obstacles. Two tankers that were originally headed toward the U.S. changed course, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 5, amid concerns among potential buyers about sanctions and legal risks, according to Kyiv Post.

A weekly line to Zelensky

Rutte said he speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky every week and that a working relationship between Trump and Putin is important. He said he had told Zelensky that the United States remains the only country able to provide some of the military support Ukraine needs. Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, has led NATO since October 2024 and has worked to keep Trump engaged with the alliance as the president pressed allies to spend more on defense.

Cover photo: The White House (archive). Videos: Pauw & De Wit via Clash Report

NATO's Rutte says he told Trump to "keep your chin up" after the midterm defeat