BRUSSELS, January 28. /TASS/. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has been forced to praise US President Donald Trump in order to protect the interests of the alliance, Politico reported, citing a NATO diplomat.

"For the benefit of the alliance, [he’s] sucking up to Trump," the diplomat said. "But the question is, where does it end?" the official added. Politico noted that several diplomats fear that this public veneration of Trump could undermine NATO’s authority.

Earlier, the newspaper reported that, according to several NATO politicians, Rutte’s priority is to "keep the United States under Trump from walking away from Europe." However, this policy exposes him to criticism, diverting focus from the rest of his responsibilities, Politico writes.