Mark Rutte

That was really the focus of our discussions.

The NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has been something of a Trump whisperer in this second term, largely by piling on praise.

And the two met just hours after Trump's speech.

And with cameras rolling, Rutte told Trump it pained him to think that the president doubted NATO's commitment to the U.S.,

Trump now says they have a concept of a deal, though there was no mention of the U.S.

actually owning Greenland as he had been demanding.

He dodged questions about that, simply saying it would be an infinite deal.

That issue did not come up anymore in my conversations tonight, Mr. President.

He very much focused on what do we need to do to make sure that that huge Arctic region, where change is taking place at the moment, where the Chinese and Russians are more and more active, how we can protect that.

That was really the focus of our discussions.

We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false.

That the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient.

That trade rules were enforced asymmetrically.

And we knew that international law applied with varying rigor depending on the identity of the accused or the victim.

This fiction was useful, and American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods.

This bargain no longer works.

Let me be direct.

We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.

It feels strange.

Thank you.