NATO head should work for alliance's unity, not act as 'American agent,' says ex-EU Council chief

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A former European Council president criticized NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Friday for what he called his "flattering approach" to US President Donald Trump, saying he does not expect the alliance chief to be an "American agent."

Secretary General Rutte's "flattering diplomacy" toward Trump will not work and could lead to "total failure," Charles Michel claimed during Euronews' morning show Europe Today.

He said Rutte should stop being an "American agent" and unite NATO in the face of "hostile rhetoric" and "intimidation" from the US.

"I'm not expecting Mark Rutte to be an American agent. I'm expecting Mark to work for unity within NATO," said Michel, who served as the president of the European Council from 2019 to 2024.

"I want to be clear, Mark Rutte is disappointing, and I'm losing confidence," he added.

Rutte has drawn criticism after he dismissed the idea of Europe defending itself alone during his address at the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Security and Defense in Brussels on Monday.

"If anyone thinks here that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US. Keep on dreaming. You can't. We can't," he said.

Michel said that Europe faces "intimidation" and "threats," adding, "What is going on with Greenland is not acceptable, and I expect Mark Rutte to be a strong voice to defend the unity between NATO."

Eight European countries were threatened with tariffs by Trump over Greenland in early January.

The EU is a "very loyal partner" to the US and "doesn't deserve" the US president's recent "behavior," noted Michel.

Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's stated aim for his country to join the EU by 2027 as part of a peace plan, Michel said: "It's absolutely right, and that's possible."

He also called for Kyiv's integration into the bloc "as fast as possible."