US President Donald Trump (R) and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speak to media on June 25, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo: VCG

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte sought to clarify an eyebrow-raising comment he made during a bilateral news conference with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday: He doesn't consider the US leader "daddy" and was making a reference in jest, the Hill reported.

"The daddy thing, I didn't call him 'daddy,'" Rutte told reporters later in the day. "What I said is that sometimes, in Europe, I hear sometimes countries saying, 'Hey, Mark, will the US stay with us?' And I said that sounds a little bit like a small child asking his daddy, 'Hey, are you still staying with the family?' So in that sense, I used 'daddy' - not that I was calling President Trump daddy," he said, the Hill reported.

Early Wednesday morning during a bilateral meeting between Trump and Rutte during the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump likened the countries of Israel and Iran to "two kids in a schoolyard" that had a "big fight," ABC News reported.

"You know, they fight like hell. You can't stop them. Let them fight for about two-three minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he continued, ABC News reported.

Rutte raised eyebrows when he interjected, "Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop."

ABC News said Trump was receptive to Rutte's nickname.

"He did it very affectionately though, 'Daddy, you're my daddy,'" Trump said, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio chuckled behind him, according to the Hill.

Global Times