NATO chief Mark Rutte warned Monday, January 26, that Europe cannot defend itself without the United States, in the face of calls for the continent to stand on its own feet after tensions over Greenland. US President Donald Trump roiled the transatlantic alliance by threatening to seize the autonomous Danish territory – before backing off after talks with Rutte last week.
The diplomatic crisis gave fresh momentum to those advocating for Europe to take a tougher line against Trump and break its military reliance on Washington. "If anyone thinks here again, that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US – keep on dreaming. You can't," Rutte told lawmakers at the European Parliament.
He said that EU countries would have to double defense spending from the 5% NATO target agreed last year to 10% and spend "billions and billions" on building nuclear arms. "You would lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella," the former Dutch prime minister said. "So hey, good luck."
