NATO chief Mark Rutte warned on Monday (local time) that Europe cannot protect itself without the United States, amid calls for Europe to become more self-sufficient following tensions over Greenland, AFP reported.
US President Donald Trump inflamed the transatlantic alliance by threatening to seize the autonomous Danish territory – before backing down after talks with Rutt last week.
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The diplomatic crisis has given new impetus to those advocating for Europe to take a tougher stance against Trump and break its military dependence on Washington.
Here is what NATO chief Mark Rutte
“If anyone here thinks again that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the US – keep dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte told lawmakers in the European Parliament, AFP reported.
He said EU countries would have to double defense spending from the five percent target agreed by NATO last year to 10 percent and spend “billions and billions” on building nuclear weapons.
“You would lose the main guarantor of our freedom, which is the American nuclear umbrella,” said the former Dutch prime minister. “So bye, good luck.
France reacts to the statements of the head of NATO
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot rejected the NATO chief’s remarks, writing on X Monday night that “Europeans can and must take responsibility for their own security.”
Rutte insisted that the US commitment to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause remained “total”, but that the United States expected European countries to continue spending more on their militaries, AFP reported.
“They need a secure Euro-Atlantic and they also need a secure Europe. So the US has every interest in NATO,” he said.
Read also | NATO chief Marks Rutte says two ‘workstreams’ agreed with Trump on Greenland
The NATO chief repeated his repeated praise for Trump for pushing reluctant European allies to increase defense spending.
He also appeared to fend off a proposal by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius earlier this month for a possible European defense force to replace US troops on the continent.
“Putin will love it…”
“It will complicate things. I think (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will like it. So think again,” Rutte said.
On Greenland, Rutte said he agreed with Trump that NATO would “take more responsibility for the defense of the Arctic,” but it was up to the Greenlandic and Danish authorities to negotiate a US presence on the island.
“I have no mandate to negotiate on behalf of Denmark, so I have not and will not,” he said.
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Rutte said he reminded Trump of the sacrifices of NATO allies in Afghanistan after the US leader sparked outrage by downplaying their role.
“For every two American soldiers who have paid the ultimate price, one soldier from an ally or a partner, a NATO ally or a partner country has not returned home,” he said.
“I know America greatly appreciates all the efforts.”
