NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned members of the European Parliament on Monday that Europe cannot reliably defend itself without continued US support, comments that reignited debate after a diplomatic spat over Greenland.
US President Donald Trump unsettled the transatlantic alliance by suggesting the United States might seek to acquire the autonomous Danish territory — a proposal he later dropped following talks with Rutte last week.
"If anyone thinks here again, that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US — keep on dreaming. You can't," Rutte told lawmakers, arguing that military independence would require dramatic increases in European defence spending and major investments in strategic capabilities.
Rutte said Europe would need to substantially raise defence budgets and invest "billions and billions" to develop capabilities such as nuclear forces if it sought full autonomy. He warned that attempting to go it alone would risk losing "the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella."
Fact-Check Note: The article references a "five percent NATO target," but NATO's widely reported guideline is 2% of GDP for defence spending. This apparent discrepancy should be verified against primary sources.
While stressing that US commitment to NATO's Article Five mutual-defence clause remains "total," Rutte said Washington expects European allies to continue raising military budgets. He praised President Trump for pressuring reluctant partners to increase defence spending.
Rutte also rejected a proposal from the EU's defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, for a standalone European defence force that could substitute for US troops. "It will make things more complicated. I think (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will love it. So think again," he said.
On Greenland, Rutte said he and Trump agreed NATO should "take more responsibility for the defence of the Arctic," but emphasized that any discussions about a US military presence on the island must be handled by Greenlandic and Danish authorities. "I have no mandate to negotiate on behalf of Denmark, so I didn't, and I will not," he said.
Rutte also reminded the US president of the sacrifices made by NATO allies in Afghanistan after Mr. Trump appeared to downplay their contributions: "For every two American soldiers who paid the ultimate price, one soldier of an ally or a partner... did not return home." He added that he believed the United States "greatly appreciates all the efforts."
Editorial note: The article has been edited for clarity, flow and grammar. Some factual points—particularly references to specific NATO spending targets and the speaker's official title—should be confirmed against original statements and official NATO releases before publication.
