NATO chief Rutte talks security with Trump in Florida

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has met with President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah announced Saturday. 

Palm Beach, Florida is the location of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.  

The two leaders "discussed the range of global security issues facing the alliance," Dakhlallah said, without revealing further details.  

Trump is expected to push NATO members to pay more in defense expenditures in his second term, pushing for allies to spend 3% of their GDP on defense. In the past, Trump has also claimed that he "would encourage" Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to countries which he deems are not paying their bills. 

Trump has also said he opposes further military aid to Ukraine, an idea which many European NATO members find disheartening.  

Trump has nominated Matthew Whitaker to be US ambassador to NATO. Whitaker is expected to pursue Trump's "America First" agenda during talks with NATO allies.

Rutte wished to speak with Trump on growing Russia-North Korea ties  

Rutte had earlier expressed willingness to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago after Trump was victorious over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential election.   

Rutte had earlier said he wanted to speak with Trump on North Korea, Iran, China and Russia "working together, working together against Ukraine."

"At the same time, Russia has to pay for this and one of the things they are doing is delivering technology to North Korea," Rutte said during a recent meeting of European leaders in Budapest. He said this development is threatening to the US and contintental Europe.

"I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threat collectively," the NATO chief had said.    

wd/sms (AFP, Reuters)