Globalist Dutch PM Backs Macron as Donald Trump Mocks French Leader For ‘Kissing Xi Jinping’s Ass’

The Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte (R) points towards France's President Emmanuel
LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images
Kurt Zindulka

Dutch Prime Minsiter Mark Rutte has come out in support of President Emmanuel Macron’s call for Europe to develop strategic autonomy from the United States, as the French leader was accused of “kissing Xi’s ass” by former American President Donald Trump.

Following a second day of protests in The Netherlands against the state visit of French President Macron, his globalist neo-liberal ally in The Hague, Prime Minister Rutte said that he agreed with Macron’s push to secure independence from America on issues such as Communist China.

Mr Macron caused international outrage over the weekend following his state visit to meet with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping after which he said Europe should seek “strategic autonomy” from the United States, arguing that the EU should not “follow” America into a war with Beijing should the communist nation invade the democratic nation of Taiwan.

The French leader also raised eyebrows by questioning the international reserve currency status of the American dollar, which both China and Russia are actively trying to undermine.

Commenting on the proclamations from Macron, former President Donald Trump told Fox News on Monday: “Macron, who’s a friend of mine, is over with China kissing [Xi’s] ass in China, okay. I said France is now going to China?”

Both Macron and Rutte said they did not want to comment on the statement from the current frontrunner in the race to become the next Republican presidential candidate, however, the French leader did go on to address the comments from Trump.

“Trump is looking for escalation. On the contrary, we want to avoid provoking. We are for the status quo, clarity and respect. That’s what Europe wants, the United States wants that,” Macron said.

“The US is still a major ally, but being an ally doesn’t mean you’re a vassal,” he added, claiming that he consulted with President Joe Biden prior to his state visit to China last week.

The Dutch PM said that he agreed with Macron, saying: “We also consistently said that Europe should not be the playing field, but a player… There is a risk that Europe will develop too little power, it is crucial that Europe does.”

Commenting on U.S. relations, Rutte added: “We do not agree on all the details but on major issues. The transatlantic bond is essential, but on a global stage we must have our own geopolitical position.”

Ironically, despite the big talk from the two leaders, both France and The Netherlands failed to meet the 2 per cent of GDP spending requirements for the NATO military alliance last year, with France spending just 1.89 per cent on defence spending and only 1.64 per cent from the Dutch.

The United States also vastly outspent both countries in real terms, with the American taxpayer committing 723 billion last year on the American global military apparatus, compared to 330 billion for all of the nations of Europe and Canada, combined. The U.S. has also led the way in terms of military and financial aid to Ukraine, despite the conflict being on the doorstep of the EU.

Both Rutte and Macron, who have both been relegated to power-sharing coalition governments in order to retain power, have also been facing domestic crises at home, which could potentially topple their governments.

The Dutch leader has been dogged by an uprising of farmers against his plans to impose draconian limits to nitrogen emissions and potentially shut down thousands of privately owned farms. Meanwhile, millions of French citizens have poured out onto the streets in protest against Macron’s use of a constitutional loophole to pass through controversial pension reforms without a vote in the National Assembly.

Embarrassingly for the French president, the protests followed him to The Netherlands, with activists disrupting his speech in The Hague on Tuesday, branding him the “president of violence and hypocrisy“. The protests continued on Wednesday, with a man and a woman attempting to rush Macron at the University of Amsterdam before being tackled by police.

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka

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