Jetten: Dinner with U.S. president Trump "constructive," but did not convince each other

The conversation Prime Minister Rob Jetten had with U.S. President Donald Trump was “too short to convince each other, but long enough to gain a better understanding of each other’s positions,” Jetten said afterwards. He attended a dinner at the White House with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, whom Trump called “highly respected people.”

The meeting lasted 90 minutes longer than planned. It was an “open and constructive” conversation, according to the Prime Minister. All sensitive topics were discussed: the war in the Middle East, the situation in Ukraine, and NATO.

“It was a useful evening,” Jetten said. “And I understand very well the unease felt by many Dutch people regarding this visit and everything that is going on. But if you stay away, you cannot exchange on these topics. So in that sense, I think we did what we came here for.”

Jetten attended the dinner with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. The royal couple also stayed overnight at the White House, a rare occurrence. Last year, during the NATO summit, Trump stayed overnight at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.

The visit comes at a time when the U.S. is in conflict with Iran. European countries do not support that conflict, much to Trump’s displeasure. The president has long expressed disdain for Europe and NATO allies, and previously also threatened to take over Greenland.

Trump again expressed his displeasure regarding the limited European investment in defense over the past decades, Jetten said. Although European NATO member states are now spending much more on their armed forces, that cannot be resolved overnight. “There is certainly more resentment directed our way.”

The U.S. Navy is blockading Iranian ports. According to Jetten, Trump did not make a concrete request during the dinner to help with this. “He made it clear why he considers it important to increase pressure [on Iran] in order to return to negotiations.”

Before the dinner, Jetten called the American blockade of Iran “undesirable,” speaking to ANP. However, it is a better way to increase pressure on the regime in Tehran “than the threats we have seen earlier” from the Americans, he said.

According to Jetten, the meeting with Trump was not a tough conversation. “But I do think we can appreciate in each other that we are open and honest and that we speak up when we disagree. If you do that in a strong relationship like the one our countries have had for a long time, then you can also find the way forward together.”