NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to Washington next week to try to bridge a serious rift within the alliance.
The visit comes as US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized European allies for not being united on the issue of war with Iran.
The agenda for the talks at the White House is extremely tense, as Trump has already announced his intention to reduce NATO funding and is even considering withdrawing the United States from the alliance.
Dissatisfaction with Britain, which has refused to join military strikes in the Middle East, is particularly acute. In this context, Rutte’s visit is seen as an attempt at crisis diplomacy to preserve Atlantic unity and prevent a possible collapse of the security system.
