NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has dismissed the possibility of a separate European military, saying that Europe could not defend itself without the United States’ help.
Europe and the U.S. should divide responsibilities to support NATO, Rutte said. European countries would have to drastically increase their defence spending to maintain separate armed forces, per Rutte, and build up their own nuclear capabilities.
“If anyone thinks here, again, that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming,” Rutte told the European Parliament’s committees on foreign affairs and security. “We need each other.”
”I wish you luck if you want to do it [create a European military], because you have to find the men and women in uniform, it will be on top of what is happening already, and it will make things more complicated. I think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will love it.”
Rutte also said that the EU would allow Ukraine to spend part of the bloc's upcoming €90 billion loan on weapons from the U.S., despite a push by some member countries like France to spend the money on the bloc's own military suppliers.
The comments by the NATO chief followed his previous pattern of insisting that Europe has to keep channels open with the U.S. and that the U.S. remains loyal to the alliance.
Rutte also credited Trump for getting NATO countries to boost their defence spending to at least 2% GDP last year.
“Do you really think that Spain and Italy and Belgium and Canada would have decided to move from 1.5% to 2% ... without Trump. No way,” Rutte said.
Rutte also said that defending Europe would cost “billions and billions of euros” and would require countries to boost their spending to 10% GDP without the U.S., as opposed to the 5% GDP some countries promised by 2035.
“For Europe, if you really want to go it alone … forget that you can ever get there with 5%,” Rutte said
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares recommended that the European Union move to create a joint army last week. While this army would not replace NATO, Albares said, it would deter potential threats.
Rutte said that U.S. President Donald Trump was “totally committed to NATO”, despite Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland from NATO member Denmark. Trump had previously said that he would not rule out the use of force to seize Greenland, but backed away from this earlier in January.
NATO will collaborate to prevent Russian influence from expanding in the Arctic, said Rutte. Trump has frequently cited potential Russian and Chinese influence in the region as a reason for the U.S. to take Greenland.
Trump also incorrectly claimed last week that troops from NATO members were “a little off the frontlines” during the war in Afghanistan and questioned whether NATO would assist the U.S. in a crisis, with leaders from countries like the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Czech Republic criticising these remarks.
