NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CNN about his meeting this afternoon with President Trump, amid criticism from the president that U.S. aliies “weren’t there for us” in the war with Iran: “He clearly told me what he thought of what happened over the last couple of weeks.” “He is clearly disappointed… and I can see his point.” Not all European nations lived up to those commitments,” Rutte said. “But the large majority of European nations have been helpful.”

JAKE TAPPER, CNN: You just came from a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump. He’s not been hiding his frustrations with NATO countries. How was the meeting? Did he say he’s withdrawing? MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Well, let me be absolutely clear. He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point. But at the same time, I was also able to point to the fact that the large majority of European nations have been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they lived up to their commitments. And there is also widespread support for the fact that degrading the nuclear and the ballistic missile capacity of Iran was really crucial, and that only the United States was able, at this point, to do that. And let’s not forget-there’s Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, who’s bringing together now a coalition of over 30 countries-over 40, actually-but 34 participated yesterday in a planning meeting with military leaders to make sure that free sea lanes, being able to use the Strait of Hormuz going forward, will be possible. So I also pointed him to the positive. But clearly, this was a very frank, very open discussion-but also a discussion between two good friends. JAKE TAPPER: Did the president say he was going to try to withdraw from NATO, or at the very least not support NATO as much as other presidents have? MARK RUTTE: Well, as I said, there is the disappointment, clearly. But at the same time, he was also listening carefully to my arguments about what is happening. And I also pointed him to the fact that it was his leadership which brought about the Hague spending commitment-so the 5%-which is a transformational change in NATO. It is a transformational legacy he leaves behind. This is NATO 3.0: the Europeans being able to take more care for their own defense. So a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO. JAKE TAPPER: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the president is weighing punishing some NATO allies for not being helpful to the U.S. and Israel during the war. Quote: The proposal would involve moving U.S. troops out of NATO member countries deemed unhelpful to the Iran war effort and stationing them in countries that were more supportive of the U.S. military campaign. Did the president talk about that at all today? MARK RUTTE: Again, it was a very frank, very open discussion. He clearly told me what he thought of what happened over the last couple of weeks-some countries- JAKE TAPPER: Specifically said, you can’t use our bases, you can’t even fly over our airspace-Spain, France. MARK RUTTE: Yeah, but listen, the large majority-including France-of European nations has been doing what they committed before they would do in a case like this. So Europe, as a platform of power projection for the United States, was in full play over the last six weeks. And yes, it is true-not all European nations lived up to those commitments. And I totally understand that he is disappointed about it. JAKE TAPPER: On a scale of 1 to 10-1 being not worried at all, 10 being terrified-where do you leave Washington thinking President Trump… your opinion of President Trump wanting to leave NATO? Are you a 1, not worried at all, or a 10, really worried Trump is going to pull out of NATO? MARK RUTTE: Well, I’m not going to get into answering that question. JAKE TAPPER: I’m just trying- MARK RUTTE: I understand it. But what I felt today-this was a meeting between friends, because we like each other. I really admire his leadership. And he knows what he did in The Hague last year at a NATO summit has been crucial. And NATO allies are with him when it comes to the aims of degrading the nuclear and the ballistic missile capacity of the Iranians. JAKE TAPPER: Yeah, but Europeans wanted to do it through diplomatic means. MARK RUTTE: Yeah, I know-but we run the risk that this would lead into a North Korea moment, where you talk so long that at a certain moment it’s beyond the point where you can still get this done, because then they would get their hands on nuclear capability. And that is basically a big risk for Europe. It is existential for Israel. It is existential for the Middle East. So the whole world is safer by this president degrading those capabilities.

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