Trump on Greenland With NATO's Rutte: 'I Think It Will Happen'; on Tariffs: 'I'm Not Going to Bend at All' (March 13, 2025)

With NATO’s secretary general sitting beside him in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump was asked about Greenland. “Well, I think it will happen,” Trump said on March 13, 2025, according to the transcript published by the American Presidency Project. “You know, Mark, we need that for international security—not just security, international.” [1]

“We have a lot of our favorite players, you know, cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful,” Trump said [1].

The video above shows Trump’s meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on March 13, 2025. Quotes are from the American Presidency Project [1][2].

”I Don’t Want to Drag NATO in That”

Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, stayed out of the Greenland question but backed Trump on the Arctic. “So, when it comes to Greenland, yes or no, joining the U.S., I would leave that outside, for me, this discussion, because I don’t want to drag NATO in that,” Rutte said [1].

“But when it comes to the high north in the Arctic, you are totally right. The Chinese and—are using these routes. We know that the Russians already arming. We know we have a lack of icebreakers,” he said [1].

“So we’ve ordered—we’re in the process of ordering 48 icebreakers, and Canada wants to know if they could use them. I said, ‘Well, you know, you got to pay for them,’” Trump said [1].

”I’m Not Going to Bend at All”

A reporter asked if Trump would drop the April 2 tariffs on aluminum. “No, I’m not. Look, we’ve been ripped off for years, and we’re not going to be ripped off anymore. No, I’m not going to bend at all on aluminum or steel or cars. We’re not going to bend,” Trump said [1].

“In the case of Canada, we’re spending $200 billion a year to subsidize Canada. I love Canada. I love the people of Canada,” he said [1].

”Phase One Is the Cease-Fire”

Trump said his envoy Steve Witkoff was in Moscow. “As you know, Ukraine has agreed, subject to this—what’s happening today—to a complete cease-fire, and we hope Russia will do the same. Thousands of people are being killed—young people, usually, mostly—young people,” he said [1].

“We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and—pieces of land that would be kept and lost and all of the other elements of a final agreement,” Trump said. “But phase one is the cease-fire.” [1]

“Now we’re going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they’re not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world,” he said [1].

Asked about Vladimir Putin’s statement that day that he was open to a cease-fire, Trump said: “No, he put out a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete. And yes, I’d love to meet with him or talk to him, but we have to get it over with fast.” [1]

“Thousands of people a week are dying, so we really don’t have very much time. We have to make this fast,” he said [1].

”It Should Be Quite a Bit Higher”

Trump recalled NATO countries that did not pay their share in his first term. “But there were just very few countries that were paying. And even the paying, they—it was at 2 percent, which is too low. It should be higher. It should be quite a bit higher,” he said [1].

Rutte credited Trump. “And I must say, Trump 45—you basically—you originated the fact that in Europe we are now spending, when you take it to aggregate, $700 billion more on defense——” he said. When Rutte turned to “Trump 47,” Trump said, “Going to be hard to top.” Rutte went on: “——what happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering. The Europeans committing to a package of $800 billion defense spending.” [1]

He praised his guest. “Now he’s Secretary General of NATO and doing a fantastic job,” Trump said. “Which is tougher: being the Prime Minister of Netherlands or——” “This job is quite tough. Yes,” Rutte answered, as the room laughed [1].

”Families in New York and Connecticut”

Trump also pushed an energy pipeline that New York had held up. “It’s a pipeline going through a small section of New York. New York has held it up for years, actually,” he said. “And families in New York and Connecticut and New England are going to save $5,000 a family. Think of that.” [1]

“So I hope we don’t have to use the extraordinary powers of the Federal Government to get it done, but if we have to, we will,” Trump said, ahead of a meeting with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul [1].

By the Numbers

48: icebreakers the U.S. was ordering, per Trump [1].
$200 billion: what Trump said the U.S. spends each year subsidizing Canada [1].
2 percent: NATO’s old spending target, “too low,” per Trump [1].
5 percent: the target NATO agreed to in June [2].

What Happened Next

NATO agreed to 5 percent. On June 25, 2025, at the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump announced the result. “As you know, it was at 2 percent, and we got it up to 5 percent,” he said [2].

“And they said—a couple of them came up to me—one, in particular, said: ‘Sir, we’ve been trying to get it up to 3 percent for 20 years, and we haven’t been able. And you got it up to 5 percent,’” Trump said [2].

“The United States accounts for two-thirds of all NATO defense spending,” he said [2].

For Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, see HYGO News’ page on Aug. 15, 2025. For Trump with Canada’s prime minister, see the page on May 6, 2025.