NATO chief Rutte rejects calls for EU defence independence from US

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte rejected proposals for independent European security structures, insisting the EU does not need to break from the US on defence matters despite calls from senior European politicians.

Manfred Weber, head of the conservative EPP party and its European Parliament group, had called for deploying European troops under EU command to secure peace in Ukraine.

"I wish that soldiers with the European flag on their uniforms, together with our Ukrainian friends, would ensure peace," Weber told German media outlet Funke.

Rutte disagreed with the proposal in an interview with German news agency dpa published Thursday.

"I'm absolutely convinced that the US is completely invested in NATO. There's no doubt. There was one big expectation. Indeed, us spending more, Europe taking more responsibility," Rutte said.

The NATO chief emphasised that increased European defence efforts should occur alongside the US, not independently.

"When we talk about Europe and NATO, it's more than just the EU," Rutte said, noting that the 23 EU countries within NATO account for only about a quarter of the alliance's total economic output.

US and Europe to work together

Rutte pointed to shared US-European interests in defending the Arctic and North Atlantic.

"The US has its own specific interests in NATO, which is, of course, Europe staying safe, but also the Arctic. A safe Arctic is crucial for the United States, and we can only defend that together, European and American NATO allies."

"The Arctic is a big issue. We see Chinese and Russian ships travelling there. And we can only defend the Arctic together - European and American NATO allies together."

The NATO secretary general warned that Russia could pose a serious threat as early as 2027, according to some intelligence assessments.

"I will not speculate on where and when and how exactly. In the end, if there is an attack on NATO, then we are all under attack - because that is Article 5, which means that an attack on one is an attack on all," Rutte said.

"If we do those two things, we are strong enough to defend ourselves, and Putin will never try," he stated, referring to maintaining strong support for Ukraine and increasing NATO defence spending.

In the interview on Thursday, Rutte praised Germany's commitment to reaching 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2029, ahead of the 2035 deadline agreed at the alliance's summit in The Hague in June.

He called Germany's approach "very impressive" and said Berlin was "leading the pack" among European allies.