The Hague(Netherlands), Jan 22: For days it seemed there was no way out of the latest standoff between Europe and the United States: US President Donald Trump insisted he must have Greenland – and would settle for nothing short of total ownership.
Even after he dropped the threat of force in a speech in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, the impasse remained. Enter: Mark Rutte.
The NATO secretary-general may have been instrumental in persuading Trump to scrap the threat of slapping punitive tariffs on eight European nations to press for US control over Greenland – a stunning reversal shortly after insisting he wanted to get the island “including right, title and ownership.”
In a post on his social media site, Trump said he had agreed with Rutte on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security at the World Economic Forum in Davos, potentially defusing tensions that had far-reaching geopolitical implications.
Little is known about what the agreement entails or how crucial Rutte’s intervention was, and Trump could change course again. But for now, Rutte has earned his reputation as the “Trump Whisperer.” That’s only the latest nickname for the man long known as “Teflon Mark” during his domination of Dutch politics for a dozen years.
Rutte’s reputation for successfully charming the US president took flight last year when he referred to Trump as “daddy” during an alliance summit in The Hague and sent him a flattering text message.
Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said the dramatic scenes in Davos underscored Rutte’s ability to keep NATO’s most powerful leader on board.
Rutte’s success in dealing with Trump appears to revolve around his willingness to use charm and flattery while revealing little of what the two leaders discuss. It’s a tactic that Rutte used to marshal coalition partners in nearly 13 years as Dutch prime minister.
Trump himself highlighted Rutte’s effusive friendliness before he set off for Davos this week, publishing a text message from the NATO chief on his Truth Social platform.
Rutte’s soft diplomatic skills were seen as a key asset for the leader of the 32-nation alliance as it faced Trump’s repeated criticism while navigating how to support Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Several hours before Trump made his dramatic reversal on Greenland, Finnish President Alexander Stubb – another European leader credited with having a way with Trump – was asked during a panel discussion on European security in Davos “who or what can diffuse the tensions” over Greenland? “Oh, Mark Rutte,” Stubb said, to laughter in the audience and among the panel that included the Dutchman himself. (AP)
