NATO boss Rutte dismisses calls for European army prompted by Trump fears
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
NATO chief Mark Rutte arriving to address the foreign affairs committee at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan 26.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BRUSSELS – NATO chief Mark Rutte on Jan 26 dismissed calls by some leading European politicians for a separate European army, prompted by doubts over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to the continent’s security that were heightened by tensions over Greenland.
Mr Rutte told advocates of a European force separate from the US-led NATO alliance to “keep dreaming”, and said Russian President Vladimir Putin would “love” the idea as it would stretch Europe’s armies and make them weaker.
Speaking to the European Parliament in Brussels, Mr Rutte said European nations must continue to step up and take more responsibility for their own security, as Mr Trump has demanded – but within the transatlantic alliance.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius have both raised the prospect of a European force in recent weeks.
Without referring explicitly to either proposal, Mr Rutte gave the general idea short shrift, insisting Mr Trump and the United States remained strongly committed to NATO, despite the uncertainty caused by Mr Trump’s demands that NATO member Denmark cede control of Greenland.
“I think there will be a lot of duplication, and I wish you luck if you want to do it, because you have to find the men and women in uniform – they’ll be on top of what is happening already,” he said.
“It will make things more complicated. I think Putin will love it. So think again.”
Mr Rutte told the lawmakers that if Europe really wanted to go it alone, it would cost far more than the 5 per cent of gross domestic product that NATO nations have agreed to spend on defence and security-related investments.
“You have to build up your own nuclear capability – that costs billions and billions of euros. You will lose then, in that scenario... the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. So hey, good luck.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot hit back on Jan 26 at the NATO chief’s statements, posting on social media platform X that “Europeans can and must take responsibility for their own security”. REUTERS
