When the name of the former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte began to be circulated as possible next NATO Secretary General, months before the US Presidential election, it was clear that one of his strong points was the fact that he didn't suffer quite as much from Trump Derangement Syndrome as many other European leaders – as you can read in Dutch PM Rutte Urges European Leaders to 'Stop Moaning and Whining and Nagging About Trump', Says NATO Has to 'Work With Whoever Is on the Dance Floor'.

Rutte took over as NATO Secretary General in October, and now the collaboration with Trump appears to have begun.

Associated Press reported:

"U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO have met for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday."

A brief statement by NATO says Trump and its secretary general, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida.

"'They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance', the statement said without giving details."

Rutte congratulated Trump on his victory and said 'his leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong'.

Trump worked to strengthen the Alliance by tackling the defense spending of many of its member nations, which were way below the minimum agreed level.

"He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet defense-spending goals.

Rutte and his team also met Trump's pick as national security adviser, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, and other members of the president-elect's national security team, the NATO statement said."