Trump is good news for Nato, Mark Rutte tells BBC

The Nato chief said it was thanks to Donald Trump that the alliance is "stronger than it ever was".

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In an interview with the BBC, Mark Rutte said it was thanks to Donald Trump that Nato was "stronger than it ever was", adding that Trump "is good news for collective defence, for Nato and for Ukraine".

The US leader has harshly criticised European allies for spending very little on defence - even threatening to withdraw US protection if they fail to do so.

The Nato chief has warned that Russia could attack allies within the next five years. Russia's President Vladimir Putin dismissed such talk as "hysteria" on Wednesday.

"I've said it repeatedly - it's a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense, about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries," Putin told defence officials in Moscow.