Speaking to Fox News late Tuesday ahead of a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, Rutte also said: “Country after country, ally after ally … have made their bases available … That means thousands, between 4,000 and 5,000 … planes taking off from European bases to support Epic Fury,” News.Az reports, citing Politico.
***
He added: “Europe is a platform of power projection for the United States.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government had previously said that only logistical and technical flights covered by the bilateral treaty governing U.S. military bases in Italy would be allowed to use its airbases to fly to the Middle East.
Rutte’s comments prompted a strong rebuke from Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. “Only flights compliant with the Treaties; Rutte’s message is completely fallacious,” the defense ministry said in a statement, reported by Il Sole 24 Ore.
Opposition politicians were not convinced. “Meloni deceived the Italians and parliament,” Green MP Angelo Bonelli said, Il Sole 24 Ore reported. “Meloni must immediately clarify what happened and report to parliament.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized European allies for what he sees as insufficient support for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, also known as Operation Epic Fury.
Apart from Italy, Rutte also singled out Romania for praise, saying Bucharest’s airport had cut commercial traffic because military tanker operations required additional capacity.
Rutte also described the financial contribution of European NATO members as “huge” and “staggering,” though he did not provide figures.
The U.S. administration is set to withdraw some troops from Europe as part of a move to give Europeans more responsibility for their own security.
In the same interview, Rutte commented on the war’s outcome and the current state of negotiations. “I think President [Trump], when it comes to Iran, has done exactly what he needed to do. I think also he is right to move to this deal,” he said.
