NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gave Europe a brusque wake-up call in an address to the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday, January 26.
“If anyone thinks here … that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte said.
Speaking to committees of the EU Parliament, including the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rutte emphasized the need for transatlantic security cooperation, U.S. involvement in NATO/European defense, and support for Ukraine and Arctic security amid tensions.
Rutte praised Trump for spotlighting Arctic security—acknowledging that defending the U.S. president would likely irritate many:
“I think he’s right” he said. “There is an issue in the Arctic. It’s a matter of collective security: sea lanes are opening, and both China and Russia are becoming increasingly active.”
Pointing to the massive increase in defense spending required without U.S. support, the NATO chief said,
Europe — if you really want to go it alone, and those of you who are planning for that, forget that you can ever get there with 5% [of GDP for defense spending]. It will be 10%! You have to build up your own nuclear capability!”
That costs billions and billions of euros. … In that scenario, you would lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the U.S. nuclear umbrella. So, hey, good luck!
