NATO chief Mark Rutte has dismissed calls by some European politicians for a separate European army, saying such a move would weaken the continent’s security and benefit Russia, as doubts over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO have resurfaced.
Speaking to the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday, Rutte has told advocates of a European force outside the US-led alliance to "keep dreaming," arguing that any duplication of NATO structures would stretch already limited military resources.
He has said European countries should continue to take greater responsibility for their own defence, as Trump has repeatedly demanded, but within NATO’s existing framework rather than through a parallel structure.
"If you want to do it, I wish you luck, because you have to find the men and women in uniform," Rutte said.
"It will make things more complicated. I think Putin will love it. So think again."
Commitment to the alliance
The comments come amid renewed debate over Europe’s security architecture, fuelled by tensions linked to Trump’s demands that NATO member Denmark cede control of Greenland, raising concerns about Washington’s long-term commitment to the alliance.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius have both raised the idea of a European military force in recent weeks.
Without referring directly to either proposal, Rutte has rejected the concept, insisting that the United States remains strongly committed to NATO.
He has warned that a fully independent European defence structure would be far more expensive than current spending targets, saying it would require capabilities that NATO already provides.
"If Europe really wants to go it alone, it will cost much more than 5 percent of GDP," he said. "You would have to build your own nuclear capability, and that costs billions and billions of euros."
Rutte has added that such a move would risk losing what he called "the ultimate guarantor of our freedom," referring to the US nuclear umbrella.
