Trump to host Dutch prime minister at White House

President Trump plans to host the Dutch prime minister at the White House next week to recognize the two nations’ historic ties and discuss their economic relationship.

The White House announced Thursday that Mark Rutte, the leader of the Netherlands, will meet with Trump on July 18. The two will discuss strengthening “economic and security cooperation,” according to a statement from press secretary Stephanie Grisham.{mosads}

The two leaders will also participate in a presentation of an American flag that was flown over a U.S. Navy ship during the D-Day invasion 75 years ago. Its Dutch owners will hand over the flag, which will later be displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Rutte has served as prime minister since 2010. He last visited the White House in July 2018, when he pushed back against Trump’s assertion that relations would be “positive” regardless of whether the U.S. and European Union worked out a trade dispute.

Trump last year imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, and the administration has released a list of an additional $4 billion in goods that could be targeted with duties.

The president has openly criticized the European bloc, complaining that it does not do enough to purchase American products. He roiled longtime allies last year when he characterized the EU as a “foe.”