NATO Secretary General to meet Trump amid alliance tensions

Russian outlets present the planned Rutte–Trump meeting mainly as a sign of deep disagreements inside NATO, especially between Washington and European capitals. They highlight Trump’s threats to pull the United States out of the alliance as proof that NATO is less united and less reliable than it claims. Russian coverage often suggests that continued quarrels over money and Iran will keep weakening NATO’s political cohesion, regardless of what is said in Washington next week.

• •Russian media stress that Trump’s threats to leave NATO expose serious internal rifts in the alliance.
• •Commentary in Russia portrays European allies as unable to meet US demands on defense spending quickly enough.
• •Russian outlets argue that repeated disputes over Iran show NATO members do not share a common foreign policy.
• •Some Russian reports suggest that uncertainty over US commitment reduces NATO’s ability to plan long-term military deployments.
• •Russian coverage often hints that Moscow benefits when NATO members argue publicly about the alliance’s future.