The Duran Podcast - Rutte claims NATO helped attack Iran as Trump pivots to Ukraine

Episode Date: June 25, 2026

Rutte claims NATO helped attack Iran as Trump pivots to Ukraine

All right, Alexander, let's talk about the NATO meeting between Ruta and Trump, Ruta traveling to the United States to meet with the U.S. president ahead of the Big NATO Conference that will be taking place in Ankara. I believe on the, I want to say on the 14th, but anyway, I forgot the dates of the Big NATO conference meeting. I don't know. Maybe it's next week. But Project Ukraine discussed, Iran discussed.

Trump is very upset with NATO. He feels as if NATO could have contributed more to the Iran war. Rute, of course, was kissing up to Trump, as the NATO CEO should do if you're talking about NATO's best customer, their best client. So anyway, what are your thoughts on the Rutei Trump meeting? Well, Trump is very annoyed with NATO and with Ruta, and it's unsurprising. because, of course, he went into this war in Iran, and it didn't turn out at all the way that he expected. And at multiple levels, you can see that Trump is very angry and very resentful,

and he's been saying hard things about Netanyahu, and he's been saying hard things about NATO. And from his point of view, all of that is actually true. I mean, the NATO states didn't come to the rescue. They weren't able to come to the rescue of the United States. own sense is that ultimately all of this means absolutely nothing. Where we are at the moment, and this is my own view, and I don't know whether you share it, but this is my own view, is that we now have a significantly diminished Donald Trump. He started this war with Iran. It didn't work out at all as he'd expected. He doesn't appear as strong, as powerful,

the unstoppable force that he appeared to be six months ago, a year ago. And I think that Ruta, the Europeans, the neocons in Washington, basically have him exactly where they want him. And I think that's what we're going to see when the NATO meeting comes. he has his agenda or rather the agenda that he came into the White House saying he had back last year, you know, the agenda of America first, the United States going its own way, concentrating on the United States, some kind of rapprochement with Russia, all that I think is now officially and conclusively dead. That's my general take about the situation. that we're looking at now.

Well, what was he expecting from NATO with regards to Iran? Well, not US NATO. NATO without the US. What was he expecting them to do? Well, you're absolutely correct, because of course, he wasn't expecting them to do anything. He was expecting that the United States by itself would win. That was the narrative that he was given. And when he's pointing his fingers at NATO, at the European members of NATO, what he's trying

to do is he's trying to deflect some of the blame onto them, even though the reality was, when he started the attack on Iran, he fully expected that the United States and Israel would have the military power to deal with the whole thing by themselves. And here perhaps is the bigger story, the underlying real story about the whole NATO system. as a military force in the world. Because what Iran has shown, what, by the way, Ukraine has also shown, is that NATO as a military force is not the power

that we all took it to be five years ago or even six months ago. The United States, with all its aircraft carriers, its air forces, its missiles, with all of those things, could not prevail. against Iran. It is running down. It has run down heavily. It stopped piles of weapons. It had already done so in terms of the conflict in Ukraine, but of course they've now, because of the conflict with Iran, fallen further down to critical levels. And the Europeans have no military

force to speak of. They're not in a position to play any big role in any major conflict. They talk about Russia, but they were absolutely unable to fight Iran. It was obvious that they could not. They could not send forces to open the Strait of Hormuz. That was entirely beyond their power. So the reality is that, yes, Trump has been diminished by this, but not. So has NATO overall. And, well, that may change. Maybe all these arms buildups that we're hearing about will achieve something. But that is the reality we have at the present time.

Is that the goal of this theater, is to make it so that NATO increases their spending and this does change? I mean, Ruta was on Fox News and he started to talk about how NATO was involved in the conflict against Iran. Italy was involved. in the conflict against Iran, which goes back to Trump's fight with Maloney at the G7 over a selfie pick. And there was some sort of a row between the United States and Italy. Trump posted on true social how he was upset with the fact that Italy was not allowing or did not allow the U.S. to use their airfields during the attacks against Iran and how that

would have helped the United States in the war against Iran. Then you have Ruta speaking to Fox News and saying, well, look, actually, a lot of NATO's facilities were used by the U.S. military to attack Iran, including Italy's. Absolutely. That's entirely true. And maybe it would have been better if Ruta had not said that. Because, of course, he did say that. He did say that.

And I really why it was better that if he didn't say that. Because, of course, the way NATO is presented is that it's this alliance, it's the United States, which spends a massive amount on defense, and Europe, which also, by the way, spends a massive amount of defence. I have seen some claims, I don't know how true these are, that Europe taken together, all of the various NATO members, or the European members of NATO taken together, if you add up all that they're spending, they actually spend more than the United States. I'm sure that that can be challenged at all sorts of levels. But anyway, this is an alive. that spends vast amounts on defense and which has projected itself as the greatest military

power in the world. It is bad enough if the main player within NATO, by far, which is the United States, goes to war with a country like Iran and fails. But for Mark Rutter to say, well, we were actually all of us involved, we were all doing of it, Italy was doing his bit. Britain was doing his bit. Britain, by the way, was doing its part too. I mean, you know, the claims that the British were completely uninvolved. It just isn't true. France was as well. Maybe they weren't sending troops directly into the battle, but they were certainly there. And to my knowledge, there were British troops and French troops in Iraqi Kurdistan,

because at one point in the conflict, the Iranians attack them with drones, and their presence thereby was revealed. So, of course, they were all involved, but that merely highlights the underlying fundamental truth that this mighty alliance, the greatest military force in the world, as we are constantly and continuously told, when it went to a war against a war with what they have repeated said is a second rank, military power, failed. It could not achieve its military objectives. And every intelligence officer around the world knows that. Military intelligence officer knows that. All the general staffs in the world are talking about it. And of course, the Europeans and the Americans

are talking about it. And going back to your original question, is that what they're really going to be talking about in Ankara? Of course it is. Not at the level of the politicians. We're not going to have Stama, who is about to leave, but who's still turning up in Ankara. He's still going to be representing Britain in Ankara, even though, as I said, we all know that if by mid-July he'll be gone. Stama's not going to be talking about that. Macron, who's going to be gone in a year's time, less than a year's time, he's not going to be talking about that.

Mouts, who's spending money like, well, you know, he's spending money like confetti. He's not going to be talking about that. They're not going to say that, but at this meeting, the various chiefs of staff, the military people, those sort of people, they will be anxiously talking about this and they'll be talking about what they can do over the next few years to try to get this thing back working again. And the pressure on the political leaderships of NATO to increase spending can only grow from this. point on. And that's, I think, the big tape we should all have from this. Yeah, Arutte said that U.S. aircraft flew between 4,000 and 5,000 missions from bases in Europe during the first six weeks of the war. Then he went on to say that 500 U.S. planes took off from U.S. bases in Italy to support Operation. Epic Fury. That's a direct quote from

Routé. A massive, a massive operation involving an enormous amount of of US air power, operating from bases in Europe, with the full assistance of Europe, with all of the enormous facilities that NATO, or supposedly enormous facilities that NATO has, because of course, NATO isn't just an alliance, but it's got all sorts of technical and other abilities as well. And it didn't work. And it lost. And it lost, exactly.

So this is a major going to be. a major, major concern now, and it's what they're all going to be talking about. And to be absolutely clear about this, Donald Trump is the big loser. I mean, it was his war. He decided to go ahead with it. Of course, they all agreed. This is a key thing to understand all of the European, the leading European members of NATO could see for months that war was coming. There would have been constant discussion and contact between the various NATO states about the fact that the war with Iran was coming. We, on the, you could see that the war was coming and we're not plugged in to the intelligence systems into the military

and command staffs. If you think that the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington don't discuss future military plans by the United States with their NATO allies, if you think that that the five eyes don't talk to each other about what's coming. Well, then I absolutely do have a bridge to sell you. So they could all see that it was coming. Did a single one of them come forward and tell Trump, don't do it, we're not ready? Iran might not be quite as easy to knock down and defeat as you think. No, none of them did.

Not a single one of them came forward and told Trump stopped. But nonetheless, the public images. that it was Trump, that Trump chose it, he as a result has been deflated and diminished. You see votes in Congress in the Senate and places like that, now going against him about war powers, things like that. So you can see that he's been deflated and they have him exactly where they want him. When they're going to meet in Ankara, they're going to push him on project Ukraine, of course, they're going to also push him on other things. But, None of that orders, the underlying truth, that collectively they have been deflated as well.

Yeah, the Senate, they did another vote. Yeah. And then they walked back. I know. I know. I know. Yeah, but still the message was sent. I know.

Absolutely right. I think Trump is approaching this all wrong, actually, with NATO. I think he messed up on his messaging. I think that he's coming out with the messaging. I want loyalty, which is what he said. I wanted loyalty from NATO and I didn't get it. And that's why we weren't successful in Iran. So NATO's going to say, so Trump is going to save more money or the NATO member states have to bump up the money that they put into the alliance because the U.S. is putting too much money into the alliance.

That's what he's going with right now. He probably should have said that NATO was very much involved in this conflict and they screwed it up. Yeah, so we need to rethink the way we invest in NATO. And that should have probably been a better line. Because what's Trump trying to do? Ultimately, what's Trump's goal in all of this? To make it as if he's not responsible for the defeat against Iran. Correct.

So he's trying to say, well, NATO didn't help me out enough. And that's why we didn't do well. He should probably have gone the other way and said, you know, man, NATO, 5,000 flights, operations. Italy was giving me all their airfields, all the bases were being used. And NATO still couldn't live up to the task. So we need to rethink what is NATO and rethink how we direct our investments. That is absolutely correct. That's exactly what he should have done and he should have done something else. He should have said, perhaps this would have pleased parts of his base, perhaps in future NATO, since he cannot help us, or rather what help it provides

is more a hindrance than a help, maybe it would have been better if we done it all by ourselves? In other words, that offers it message of the one he's actually communicating. But of course, he didn't do that because at the moment he's trying to deflect responsibility, so he wants to say, I didn't get the loyalty I deserve. And of course, Ruta comes along. He flatters him. He does all of jokes with him. He laughs at Trump's jokes.

He does all of those things. Again, it's astonishing that Trump can't see through all of this. There we are. Maybe he does. I don't know. Maybe he does. He should have thrown Ruta under the bus. Absolutely.

And Ruta would have taken it. Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. So let's shift over to the project, Ukraine and NATO, because that is going to be something that Rutea. and the other NATO members are going to push hard for more U.S. money and involvement and backing in Project Ukraine. The U.S. already is involved. And backs Project Ukraine. This is ultimately their

proxy war, and they still are very much involved in Project Ukraine. But NATO and the Europeans, they want a more public type of support from the Trump administration when it comes to Project Ukraine. Trump was asked about what he thinks of election. when he was meeting with the Uda in the Oval Office. And Trump said very good things about Zelensky. He was asked if Zelensky is winning because that's the narrative now. Ukraine is winning. I don't know what they're winning because everything shows that they're losing.

The one thing that the West is doing are the drone strikes. That's something that Russia has to handle. But as far as the war is concerned, Ukraine is losing very bad. We'll talk about that in a separate video. But Trump said that no matter that no matter. that no matter how you look at it, he said Zelensky is doing pretty well. And he talked about how it's the U.S. weapons that are helping Ukraine. He's got the best weapons, the American weapons, and omission that it's the U.S. weapons that continue to go to Ukraine. And he praised

Zelensky in his response. We are going to see a renewed American commitment to project Ukraine because, as I said, deflated Trump has no real way not to do that. And probably, at some level, he probably wants to do it too. So at the Security Council, the UN Security Council, the United States again comes out demanding an unconditional ceasefire. In other words, in other words, a freeze on the front lines. Marker Rubio, who is, of course, always maneuvering to become the next US president. He doesn't do very much diplomacy. He doesn't tour capitals. He doesn't meet with foreign leaders. He doesn't do any of those things. But he is still there. He's always there. And he again speaks in a way that clearly shows

that he is maneuvering to again provide support for project Ukraine. So we're going to be back there. It's going to be another return to the United States blaming Russia, Trump blaming Russia, for the fact that there's no peace. We're going to start getting more root words about Putin. And, of course, we were also being told this all over the media. It's probably true that at the G7 meeting, Trump expressed delight and support for the drone attacks and the missile strikes on Russia

and told Zelensky, you're doing an absolutely wonderful job. Now, that originated with the Ukrainian media, that story first began in the Ukrainian media. So there might be a little question mark over it, but it's received no denial from the White House. And the reality is that it seems that Trump actually told Zelensky to organize drone attacks on and missile strikes on Moscow, at least about a year ago.

So I'm absolutely sure it's true. So we're going to see the pendulum swing back in that direction. Yeah, the Financial Times is reporting that, as well as Ukraine media, the FTA is also saying that Trump directed, gave the directive or guidance to Ukraine to hit Moscow with drones. Yeah. Yeah. And so, and so just to quickly summarize on that, this I think is another point to understand about the Ukrainian drone offensive.

It's not just to, it has all sorts of various purposes to, you know, foster the narrative in the media in the West that Ukraine is winning to create chaos and confusion in Russia, to do all of these things. But one of its major purposes now is to impress Donald Trump. And that is another part of this now. So, you know, Trump gives the green light to do this. So the Ukrainians arrange these things for him in Moscow. It seems the story about the kerosene drones, which I have to say I was skeptical about when I first heard it. But it seems it was true.

The drones are dropping kerosene bags to create lots of smoke. It's part of a performance as well. It's other things too. It's not just a performance, but it's also partly a performance to show Trump. that yes, the Ukrainians are able to do those things that he has given them the green light to do as well. With the U.S. is full support and backing. I mean, Ukraine is not doing it. The weird part is that Ukraine is not doing these things.

They're saying that the Moscow refinery will now be out of business for about six months in need repairs. I don't buy that. That seems way too long. I think it'll be much less than that. Well, I was actually told by somebody who knows about these things that it'll be back in operation next week. Yeah, I was going to say about a month that most tops. Yes, yes. And the person who told me has worked in the industry and is in Moscow.

Just to say. Yeah. So, I mean, they're exaggerating that as well. But, I mean, you know, Ukraine is showing all this stuff to Trump, but it is the United States that's doing all this stuff. Well, absolutely. with the excuse that with the cover that it is Ukraine because you can't show that the United States is behind strikes into Russia. I mean, you can't show that.

So you have to hide it behind Ukraine. But I mean, you know, it's weird that this is what's needed to impress Trump. Wouldn't Trump know about this? He's the one that's giving the directives and the guidance. Maybe he doesn't know about this. Maybe it is just parts of the deep state in the White House that is just doing their own thing. and Trump is just part of the theater. Oh, no, he knows all about it.

He knows what he's ordered. He knows who knows who's really behind all of this. But of course, the point is that what they're all telling him, the people who are involved in Kiev, in Brussels, and, of course, in Washington is, Mr. President, it's working. Look at all the smoke that we're seeing. Just as Trump was being shown videos during the Iran war, which gave him the impression that things were going well, they were not going well at all.

Yeah, so they just want him to post about it on Trees social, that it's going well. Exactly. Exactly. And also, you know, to commit himself more deeply to this operation. Which is, he shows no real inhibitions about not doing. Of course, Putin phoned him up two weeks ago and tell him, you know, do be aware when you meet the Europeans, that's what they're going to tell you. They're going to tell you that all is going well for Ukraine and it's winning. Don't believe it. It isn't true. Trump apparently said, you know, I hear what you say. I'm absolutely fully prepared for this. And then he goes ahead. And of course, he believes or pretends to believe everything that he's told. But to repeat again, in truth, the reality is that Trump at this moment in time is, is so, as I said, diminished that he has no real choice but to continue with his path, whatever he privately thinks or not.

Well, Putin has a complete misunderstanding. The Kremlin has a complete misunderstanding about Trump. They do not understand how Trump works and operates. That's my conclusion to all this. But, I mean, look, he's going to turn, yeah, they're going to turn all their attention back to Project Ukraine. and it's low-hanging fruit for them. And it's easy to market.

It's easy for the media to get on board with. Yes. And at the end of the day, there's a whole ton of money for everybody. That is the single most... That's where they're going to go to. That is the single most important point of it. And if it can distract away from Iran, yes.

All the better for... All the better. All the better for them. Yeah. Exactly. Of course, for the Kremlin and for Putin, and we'll talk about this in another video. It wrecks his whole...

his whole strategy of our trusted partner in the United States and the guidance that he has given, which is to be very complimentary and flattering of Trump. Yes. Well, we'll talk about that in the video. So, I mean, you know, this is where it was going to go. It's always going. It always turns back to Russia. Yes.

Always does because to the extent that Trump was ever serious about our rapprochement with Russia. It was always entirely on his own terms. And that made it impossible for it to ever work. He never really, I think, well, he never did think the thing through or develop a serious negotiating strategy that he could have taken forward. I think he could have done it if he'd started with it at the beginning of his term. And it would have required a lot of focus and attention, but of course he never had it. Yeah.

And for NATO to bump up their spending for defence, using the rush excuse is exactly what they want. That's how they're going to get to the 3% or 5% or whatever they're trying to get to. All right. We'll end the video there. The durand.orgas.com. We're on Rumble. We're on telegram.

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