Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is likely to be the next secretary-general of NATO, urged fellow European leaders to stop “whining” about former President Trump.

The blunt admonition comes days after the GOP 2024 front-runner suggested the U.S. should not honor its NATO commitments if European countries do not increase their defense contribution to the North Atlantic alliance. Trump’s comments sparked outrage throughout Europe and provoked an immediate condemnation from President Biden’s White House. 

“We should stop moaning and whining and nagging about Trump,” Rutte said Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. 

“It’s up to the Americans. I’m not an American, I cannot vote in the U.S. We have to work with whoever is on the dance floor,” he added. 

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night rally in Las Vegas, Thursday, February 8, 2024.  (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.”

While Stoltenberg expressed concern at Trump’s remarks, the former president’s comment did spark a rush to confirm member countries’ contributions in the coming year.

The NATO chief announced that 18 of the alliance’s 31 members are on track to meet their pledges of contributing 2% of GDP to the group. European states are on track to contribute $380 billion this year, and Germany will meet its 2% pledge for the first time since the Cold War.

Rutte suggested that focusing on Trump’s comments only serves to distract from supporting Ukraine and meeting NATO’s commitments. 

“And all that whining and moaning about Trump. I hear that constantly over the last couple of days. Let’s stop doing that,” Rutte said, adding that after talking with U.S. politicians in Munich he was “cautiously optimistic” that Congress will pass the national security supplemental package with funding for Ukraine. 

Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.