“If anyone thinks here … that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming,” NATO chief Mark Rutte told lawmakers on the European Parliament’s defence and foreign affairs committees. “You can’t.”
Rutte then went on to criticize NATO allies. A “European pillar [of NATO] is a bit of an empty word,” arguing a European army would create “a lot of duplication” with the alliance. Moreover, Russian President Vladimir “Putin will love it,” Rutte added.
“Do you really think that Spain and Italy and Belgium and Canada would have decided to move from 1.5 to 2 percent … without Trump. No way,” Rutte continued with his criticism.
Without the US, defending Europe would cost a fortune, he added.
“For Europe, if you really want to go it alone … forget that you can ever get there with 5 percent,” Rutte said, referencing a pledge by NATO allies to ramp up their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035. “It will be 10 percent,” he argued, and cost “billions and billions of euros” to replace America’s nuclear deterrent.
Sources:
Reuters: NATO boss Rutte slaps down calls for European army prompted by Trump fears https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-boss-rutte-slaps-down-calls-european-army-prompted-by-trump-fears-2026-01-26/
Politico: Europe can’t defend itself without the US, NATO’s Rutte warns https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-defense-nato-mark-rutte-us-politics-threats-gdp/