US president Donald Trump told NATO secretary general Mark Rutte that he supported him in the race for the current position against former Romanian president Klaus Iohannis. However, Trump did not name Iohannis directly, despite him being Rutte's only competitor.

During the recent discussions in the White House, Donald Trump emphasized that there was another candidate he did not favor in the running for the NATO top job last year.

"It is an honor to have you here. They chose a great man. […] I was so much in favor of you. You have no idea. They considered another person whom I didn’t like. I was not happy. And I think I kept him away from…You know what I’m talking about,” Trump said, noting that Rutte had been a good prime minister, according to Digi24. 

On March 12, 2024, Klaus Iohannis announced his candidacy for the NATO secretary general position, stating that his decision was based on Romania’s performance, the experience he gained over his two terms as president, his deep understanding of the challenges facing NATO, Europe, and especially the region, and his strong commitment to NATO’s core values and objectives. He was Mark Rutte’s sole competitor for the NATO leadership. 

Iohannis's campaign among NATO leaders, however, was not successful, and he did not gather the support needed to head the defense organization. On June 20, he informed the members of the Supreme Council of National Defense that he was withdrawing from the race for NATO secretary general. 

During the meeting with Donald Trump, Mark Rutte commended him for convincing European NATO members to spend more on defense and “breaking the deadlock” in Ukraine. He also invited Trump to the Hague, his hometown.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: NATO press release)