NATO chief Mark Rutte has warned that if the EU thinks it can defend itself without US support, they should "keep on dreaming". The Dutch leader made the comments during a session with EU lawmakers, stressing that Europe's defense spending would have to massively increase to 10% to be able to protect itself. He also emphasized that buying its own nuclear capability and spending billions of euros on defense would be necessary.
Rutte stressed that the US needs NATO as much as Europe does, and even if US priorities evolve, a strong conventional US presence in Europe will always remain. His comments came after recent public clashes between Trump and European leaders over issues like Greenland and Afghanistan.
Regarding Ukraine, Rutte acknowledged that there are sensitive issues to be resolved regarding Russia's demands on Ukrainian territory, but only Kyiv can make decisions on what can be accepted as a compromise. He also pointed out that Ukraine wants to join NATO, but faces opposition from some member states, making it "politically and practically not on the cards" for now.
Rutte defended his relationship with Trump, saying that the US president does have a point on Arctic security issues and more needs to be done there. His comments came after reports of phone calls between other European leaders and Trump over Greenland.
In terms of Arctic security, Rutte said that Nato is focusing on collective activities to step up security in the region, including military action against Russia and China. He also noted that he won't be heavily involved in negotiations with Denmark and US officials over Danish-Greenlandic-US relations.
Rutte began his response to EU lawmakers by talking about Russian aggression on Ukraine, describing it as "the harshest winter" for Ukrainians in decades. He credited the US-led peace talks for their initiative but also mentioned the EU's own efforts through the Coalition of the Willing and its work on security guarantees.
Overall, Rutte emphasized that Ukraine's security is also Europe's security, and urged lawmakers to focus on supporting Ukraine rather than imposing restrictive conditions on EU loan spending.
Rutte stressed that the US needs NATO as much as Europe does, and even if US priorities evolve, a strong conventional US presence in Europe will always remain. His comments came after recent public clashes between Trump and European leaders over issues like Greenland and Afghanistan.
Regarding Ukraine, Rutte acknowledged that there are sensitive issues to be resolved regarding Russia's demands on Ukrainian territory, but only Kyiv can make decisions on what can be accepted as a compromise. He also pointed out that Ukraine wants to join NATO, but faces opposition from some member states, making it "politically and practically not on the cards" for now.
Rutte defended his relationship with Trump, saying that the US president does have a point on Arctic security issues and more needs to be done there. His comments came after reports of phone calls between other European leaders and Trump over Greenland.
In terms of Arctic security, Rutte said that Nato is focusing on collective activities to step up security in the region, including military action against Russia and China. He also noted that he won't be heavily involved in negotiations with Denmark and US officials over Danish-Greenlandic-US relations.
Rutte began his response to EU lawmakers by talking about Russian aggression on Ukraine, describing it as "the harshest winter" for Ukrainians in decades. He credited the US-led peace talks for their initiative but also mentioned the EU's own efforts through the Coalition of the Willing and its work on security guarantees.
Overall, Rutte emphasized that Ukraine's security is also Europe's security, and urged lawmakers to focus on supporting Ukraine rather than imposing restrictive conditions on EU loan spending.
. Without it, they're toast 
. Can't see them hitting 10% defense spending anytime soon 
.
Russia and China are not messing around 
.
. Ukraine's security is Europe's security, you feel? 
think ruttles right though...eu should really consider its own defense capabilities...all this talk about being independent is great but we need concrete numbers not just empty promises 
spending 10% of gdp on defense would be a good start 
at least we know what we're getting for our money 
. If EU wants to be independent from US support, they need to pump up their defense budget to 10% 
, but if Europe doesn't put its own money where its mouth is, it's just gonna keep getting taken advantage of 
. The US might not be around forever, and if they do start to pull out, who's gonna protect the continent? 
NATO needs to step up its game, pronto 
! 
Here are some interesting stats:
We're talking about a global power shift here, folks! The US isn't the only player in international relations anymore 
. Europe needs to start thinking like that and get its act together 
.
. But hey, at least he's not afraid to speak his mind 
...
10% of defense spending is like a drop in the ocean right? And nuclear capability? that's just crazy talk 
NATO chief Mark Rutte just warned EU leaders that if they think they can defend themselves without US support, they need to pipe down 
! And let's not forget, Ukraine's joining NATO is still "politically and practically not on the cards" 
The Arctic security situation is getting worse too... NATO's focusing on military action against Russia and China, yikes! 
It's just a never-ending nightmare of global tensions 
...
.
️.
. Ukraine joining NATO is a no-go for now, but they need support from the EU anyway