Rutte Claps Back at Lavrov: Russian Minister’s Pointless Statements Draw Smiles from International Diplomats
In a sharp public exchange, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte launched a witty retort aimed at Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, highlighting his recent comments about the 'collapse' of NATO. During a recent interview on Fox News, where he commented on statements made by Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski predicting the downfall of Putin's regime amid the current 'arms race', Lavrov issued a bleak forecast claiming that the rapid increase in NATO countries' defense budgets would inevitably lead to the organization's destruction. Rutte swiftly responded, emphasizing a significant diplomatic victory for Donald Trump and his administration with NATO’s increased defense spending, and sarcastically ridiculed Lavrov’s long-standing silence, calling him the ‘foreign minister of Russia since the time of Jesus Christ’. According to Rutte, Lavrov has contributed nothing worthwhile since his appointment, encouraging the public not to pay too much attention to him. Notably, in June, NATO allies recognized Russia as a long-term threat, agreeing to allocate at least 5% of their GDP to defense spending to strengthen collective security.