NATO Secretary-General to visit Washington next week

NATO ​Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Washington next ‌week for what a spokesperson for the military alliance called a "long-planned visit" that comes after U.S. President Donald Trump blasted European ​allies over differences on the Iran war, Reuters reported.

"I can ​confirm that the Secretary General will be in ⁠DC next week for a long-planned visit," Reuters quoted NATO ​spokesperson Allison Hart as saying. A White House official also ​confirmed the visit, according to Reuters.

Trump said he was considering pulling the U.S. out of the ​Western military alliance due to the refusal of ​European members to send ships to unblock the Strait of ‌Hormuz.

In ⁠remarks on Wednesday to allies gathered for an Easter lunch at the White House, Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among other U.S. allies, ​as a “paper ​tiger."

“We've had some very bad allies in ⁠NATO,” Reuters quoted ​Trump as saying. "Hopefully, we're never going ​to need them. I don't think we will need them."