NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday likened President Donald Trump to a "daddy" intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the U.S. leader repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week including with a profanity.

Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit, Trump again berated Israel and Iran.

"They've had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it's easy to stop them," he said.

In response, Rutte laughed and said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop."

With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavoring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on U.S. financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the U.S. president.

"No, I don't think so. I think it's a bit of a question of taste," he said, calling Trump a "good friend" for more than a decade and praising his role in "finally" persuading Europe to boost military spending.

"So doesn't he deserve some praise?" Rutte asked, also noting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites.

"And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability - I think he deserves all the praise."

Asked about Rutte's comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. "He did it very affectionately," Trump said. "Daddy, you're my daddy."

Source: Japan Today 

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