'This is not the time to go it alone,' NATO's Rutte tells U.S. and Europe
According to REUTERS, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned the United States and Europe on Wednesday against any temptation to "go it alone" on security, amid increased tensions over the future of the transatlantic alliance and diverging views on Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump this month cast doubt on Washington's willingness to defend NATO allies it deemed were not paying enough for their own defence, triggering alarm among European leaders as they try to shore up Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces.
"Let me be absolutely clear, this is not the time to go it alone. Not for Europe or North America," Rutte said in a speech at the Warsaw School of Economics.
"The global security challenges are too great for any of us to face on our own. When it comes to keeping Europe and North America safe, there is no alternative to NATO," he added.
Rutte's call for transatlantic unity came days after the Atlantic reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance had complained about European allies in a chat group. Hegseth expressed his "loathing of European free-loading", according to the Atlantic.
Asked whether allies can still have confidence in the U.S. after the controversy, Rutte later told reporters: "Absolutely, can we trust the Americans, yes. They are our biggest partner, the biggest allies in NATO."
A number of European countries including Germany and Britain have announced plans to hike defence spending as Trump seeks a rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his efforts to end the three-year-old war in Ukraine.
Trump has said NATO members should spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence – a significant increase from the current 2% target and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently meets.
"Yes, Europe needs to know that Uncle Sam still has our back. But America also needs to know that its NATO allies will step up," Rutte said, adding the June summit would provide an opportunity to build a "stronger, fairer and more lethal NATO".
