&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Keep dreaming’: NATO chief claims Europe can’t defend itself without US")
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday (Jan 27) claimed that Europe cannot defend itself with the US. His remarks come amid tensions over Greenland as US President Donald Trump escalates his push to acquire the Arctic territory. Days earlier, Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also engaged in a row over the contribution of NATO troops in Afghanistan following the September 9 attacks.
“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. We can’t. We need each other,” Rutte told lawmakers at the European Parliament.
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Speaking about the framework agreed between Rutte and Trump, the NATO chief said, “Second workstream is between Denmark, Greenland and the US, which is up to them to continue discussions.”
Rutte warned that European nations would need to expand their defence spending to 10 per cent if they “really want to do it alone.” He added that they would also need to build their own nuclear capability that would cost billions of Euros.
“In that scenario, you will lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. So hey, good luck,” he said.
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The NATO chief also praised Trump for raising the issue of Arctic security.
“I think he’s right. There is an issue with the Arctic region. There is an issue of collective security, because these sea lanes are opening up, and because the Chinese and the Russians are more and more active,” he said.
Watch | US Greenland: NATO Chief Warns Europe ‘Can’t Defend Itself’ Without US Amid Greenland Tensions
