NATO chief urges Europe to boost defense, warns against separate EU army

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has delivered a clear message to European allies: the era of relying on American security guarantees without substantial European investment is over. Speaking at an event in the European Parliament, Rutte asserted that while "the US is absolutely committed to NATO," this comes with a "long-standing expectation" for Europe and Canada to take greater responsibility for their own defense.

A Lasting Threat and a Call for Fair Burden-Sharing

Rutte framed this necessity within the context of a persistent threat from Russia, which he described as the alliance's "most significant" and enduring danger. "The dangers we face are real and lasting... and there's no reason to believe Russia's pattern of aggressive and reckless actions will change anytime soon," he stated. His comments underscore a strategic push to solidify European defense capabilities as a core pillar of NATO, rather than a separate entity, ensuring the alliance remains unified and effective.

Unity Over Division on Arctic and Iran

Addressing other global flashpoints, Rutte emphasized alliance cohesion. On rising US-Europe tensions over Greenland, he avoided direct commentary but stressed there is "no disagreement" on the need to protect the Arctic from increasing Russian and Chinese activity. "When it comes to the Arctic region, we have to work together as an alliance. That's exactly what we are doing," he said. Regarding Iran, he labeled the regime's crackdown on protests as "repellent," noting that NATO allies are in constant communication to navigate the crisis, with their focus on the welfare of the Iranian people.

A Stark Warning Against an EU Army

The NATO chief issued a particularly strong warning against calls from some European lawmakers to establish a fully independent European Union army. Rutte argued that duplicating NATO's command structures would create harmful complexity and bureaucratic delays at a time when decisiveness is critical. "The Russians will love it," he cautioned, explaining that parallel structures would slow Western responses while Moscow moves quickly. Instead, he advocated for strengthening the European pillar within NATO and enhancing EU collaboration on defense production and innovation.