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NATO
will ‘step up’ its contribution to global security, the alliance’s head has insisted after American officials branded some member nations as ‘pathetic’ and ‘free-loading’.
Mark Rutte, the Secretary-General, stated
Donald Trump
that ‘now is not the time to go alone’ and that ‘Europe needs to know that Uncle Sam still has our back.’
The seasoned political figure — often referred to as the ‘Trump whisperer’ within certain groups — made these remarks following private comments from the US President’s close advisors expressing their disdain for what they perceived as European nations freeloading.
Vice President
JD Vance
mentioned he disliked ‘having to intervene in European affairs once more’ through the initiation of airstrikes against the Houthi faction in Yemen, whereas the Defence Secretary stated
Pete Hegseth
said the continent’s behaviour was ‘pathetic’.
Rutte’s statements are likely to be interpreted as an effort to ease any strains within the alliance, which comprises the UK, US, and others.
France
,
Germany
and
Canada
.
Addressing the audience at the Warsaw School of Economics, he stated: “Now is not the time for individualism; this applies neither to Europe nor North America.”
The world faces immense security challenges that none of us can tackle alone.
‘To ensure the security of Europe and North America, there is no substitute for NATO.’
Last week, Trump acknowledged that NATO is ‘solid’ and ‘strong,’ yet he insisted they ‘
treat us fairly
‘.
He has previously hinted that the US might abandon its commitment to the alliance, which was formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union, even if a member state was attacked.
The initial months of his second presidential term have witnessed an increase in his efforts to exert pressure on NATO.
boost defense expenditure to account for 5% of their GDP, even though every member nation, including the U.S., remains significantly beneath this threshold.
.
Nevertheless, his statements have prompted numerous governments to reconsider their approach towards achieving defensive self-reliance. In response, EU leaders concurred on collectively borrowing €150 billion—approximately £125 billion—to provide loans to member states specifically for enhancing their military budgets.
Authorities have suggested relaxing European fiscal regulations to allow individual countries to increase their spending on defense.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey said to Times Radio on Wednesday that the U.S. has “definitely made a valid point” regarding Europe.
not putting sufficient effort into its defense
.
Rutte seemingly acknowledged this point yesterday when he stated that the United States’ pledge to NATO included a ‘definite expectation’ that both Europe and Canada ‘should shoulder more of the burden for our collective defense.’
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, stated that the leader of the alliance informed him that the United States would always be prepared to protect Poland and other NATO nations when faced with a threatening scenario.
Speaking alongside Rutte, he added: ‘This stable confirmation that Nato is committed to defending Poland in every critical situation is very, very important to us here and I thank you once again for confirming this principle.’
In the UK, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to increase defence expenditure from 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027.
The Defence Minister Luke Pollard stated yesterday that the Labour government was at the forefront of heeding Trump’s appeal.
‘President Trump has
Europe was urged to increase efforts in defense.
“It’s an issue that nations such as the UK have been debating for quite a while,” he said to GB News.
We are observing European nations boosting their defense budgets and uniting as part of the coalition led by the United Kingdom, which is eager to assist our allies in Ukraine.
Earlier today, Starmer and Rutte had a meeting in Paris to underscore the UK’s ‘firm dedication to NATO as the foundation of our security’.
A spokesman from 10 Downing Street stated: “They talked about their ongoing backing for Ukraine, concurring that Europe needs to take all necessary steps to sustain them in combat and maintain the heat on Putin.”
‘Both acknowledged the vital role of the United States in forging a path towards a ceasefire agreement, and reiterated that Europe stands ready to support a durable and lasting peace when it comes.’
Not all European leaders are on board with the Trump administration’s rhetoric, however.
Vance and Hegseth’s leaked remarks ignited anger among certain officials on the continent.
A UK defense source informed
The Times
that neither Britain nor other European countries had asked the US to hit Houthi targets in Yemen.
‘It’s sobering to see the way they speak about Europe when they think no one is listening,’ a European diplomat told
Politico
.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani suggested Vance’s comments showed that he ‘doesn’t know the background’ around military operations in the region and was still new to the role.
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