Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that Europe lacks the capability to defend itself without United States military support and would need to significantly increase spending to achieve independence. Speaking to European Union lawmakers in Brussels, he emphasized the mutual dependence between Europe and the US. Rutte dismissed notions of European self-reliance as unrealistic.
On Monday, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed the Security and Defence Committee at the European Parliament in Brussels, delivering a stark message about Europe's defense vulnerabilities. He asserted that the European Union or Europe as a whole cannot defend itself without US involvement, stating, "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 highlighted the interdependence, noting that Europe and the United States "need each other." He warned that achieving self-defense would require more than doubling current military spending targets, potentially reaching 10% of gross domestic product, including the development of independent nuclear capabilities, which he described as costing "billions and billions of euros."
This comes amid rising tensions within the 32-nation alliance, fueled by US President Donald Trump's recent threats to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Nato ally Denmark. Trump also imposed tariff threats on Greenland's European supporters but later withdrew them following a framework agreement mediated by Rutte, though details remain scarce.
Nato's core mutual defense commitment, enshrined in Article 5 of its founding treaty, underscores the alliance's unity. At the July summit in The Hague, European allies—excluding Spain—along with Canada, committed to matching US defense spending levels within a decade. They pledged 3.5% of GDP for core defense and an additional 1.5% for security infrastructure, totaling 5% by 2035.
Rutte's remarks respond to growing calls, led by France, for Europe's "strategic autonomy," especially after the Trump administration signaled shifting US security priorities. He cautioned that without the US, Europe would forfeit the "ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the U.S. nuclear umbrella," adding, "So, hey, good luck!"
