{"id":33828,"date":"2026-01-28T07:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T05:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=33828"},"modified":"2026-01-28T07:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T05:18:06","slug":"nato-chief-faces-backlash-after-warning-europe-against-breaking-security-dependence-on-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/nato-chief-faces-backlash-after-warning-europe-against-breaking-security-dependence-on-us\/","title":{"rendered":"NATO chief faces backlash after warning Europe against breaking security dependence on US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

7 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has triggered a sharp political backlash across Europe after bluntly dismissing calls for the continent to pursue strategic independence from the United States in security and defense matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking before members of the European Parliament on January 26, 2026, Rutte said the idea that Europe could defend itself without Washington was unrealistic, telling lawmakers to \u201ckeep on dreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf anyone thinks here, again, that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can\u2019t. We can\u2019t. We need each other,\u201d Rutte said during an exchange with members of the Parliament\u2019s security and foreign affairs committees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His remarks come at a sensitive moment for transatlantic relations, following a diplomatic crisis sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s threats to seize Greenland from Denmark through punitive measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dispute pushed relations between Washington and several European capitals to their most strained point in decades before being defused by talks led by Rutte, which resulted in an agreement to enhance NATO\u2019s role in Arctic security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Greenland Crisis Fuels Debate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greenland episode has given new momentum to voices within the European Union arguing that the bloc must reduce its reliance on the United States and take greater responsibility for its own defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s threat against an autonomous Danish territory alarmed European leaders and raised concerns about the reliability of Washington\u2019s security guarantees, particularly as global tensions intensify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutte acknowledged the seriousness of the crisis but insisted that the solution lay in reinforcing, not weakening, the transatlantic alliance. He said NATO had agreed to \u201ctake more responsibility for the defense of the Arctic,\u201d while stressing that negotiations over any U.S. military presence in Greenland remained the responsibility of Danish and Greenlandic authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"NATO<\/a>
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Brussels. (Image Credit: X\/@SecGenNATO)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI have no mandate to negotiate on behalf of Denmark, so I didn\u2019t, and I will not,\u201d Rutte said. Despite efforts to calm tensions, the crisis has strengthened calls for Europe to stand more firmly on its own feet, especially in light of growing geopolitical instability and concerns about future U.S. commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Defense Spending and the Nuclear Question<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutte argued that replacing U.S. military backing would come at an enormous cost for Europe. According to the NATO chief, European countries would need to increase defense spending to around 10% of GDP, double the current NATO target of 5%, to compensate for the loss of American support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019d have to build up your own nuclear capability. That costs billions and billions of euros,\u201d he said. \u201cIn that scenario, you would lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the U.S. nuclear umbrella. So, hey, good luck!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also rejected the idea of a fully autonomous European defense force that could replace U.S. troops on the continent, warning that such a move could undermine NATO cohesion and embolden adversaries. Referring to Russia, Rutte said, \u201cIt will make things more complicated. I think Putin will love it. So, think again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Rutte reaffirmed that the U.S. commitment to NATO\u2019s Article Five mutual defense clause remained \u201ctotal,\u201d while noting that Washington expects European allies to continue increasing military spending and capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


European Commission Pushes Gradual Independence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Commission responded cautiously to Rutte\u2019s remarks, seeking to strike a balance between reinforcing NATO and advancing European resilience. Paula Pinho, the Commission\u2019s chief spokesperson, said the political focus should remain on making the EU \u201cincreasingly resilient\u201d and \u201cincreasingly independent\u201d across multiple areas, including defense and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a positive story to tell in terms of how we\u2019ve been able to reduce our dependence on imports of fossil fuels from Russia,\u201d Pinho said. \u201cSuch dependencies are seen also in other areas: on defense, on critical raw materials.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ukrainian<\/a>
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President of the European Council Ant\u00f3nio Costa (L) in Brussels, on December 9, 2025. (Image Credit: X\/@ZelenskyyUa)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She added that the Commission is working to reduce Europe\u2019s exposure and vulnerabilities through a range of policy measures. Pinho pointed to a recent speech by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for greater \u201cEuropean independence\u201d in response to rising geopolitical confrontation. Von der Leyen has also signaled that a new EU security strategy is in the works, with particular attention to the Arctic region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really pulling together a number of measures with one aim,\u201d Pinho said. \u201cTo ensure that we can achieve such a gradual independence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


French Backlash Intensifies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strongest political reaction to Rutte\u2019s comments came from France, long a leading advocate of European \u201cstrategic autonomy\u201d and a stronger European defense industrial base. French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot publicly rejected Rutte\u2019s position, saying Europeans must take responsibility for their own security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, dear Mark Rutte. Europeans can and must take charge of their own security. Even the United States agrees. It is the European pillar of NATO,\u201d Barrot said in a public post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin Haddad, France\u2019s deputy minister for European affairs, echoed the criticism, noting that Europe, not the United States, is currently the largest donor to Ukraine. He argued that Europe faces no alternative but to move faster on defense integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to go much further. We have no other choice. We see a world that is becoming more brutal, more violent,\u201d Haddad said. \u201cWe see threats coming from American allies against the sovereignty of Denmark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is now time to take matters into our own hands and defend our security. But the truth is: Europeans are not weak. We have the tools. We have the instruments,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French members of the European Parliament were equally outspoken. Nathalie Loiseau, who attended the committee meeting where Rutte spoke, described the exchange as \u201ca disgraceful moment,\u201d accusing the NATO chief of trying to ingratiate himself with Trump at Europe\u2019s expense. \u201cWe don\u2019t need a Trump zealot. NATO needs to rebalance between U.S. and European efforts,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"NATO<\/a>
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at White House, U.S., on October 22, 2025. (Image Credit: X\/@SecGenNATO)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Personal Tone Draws Criticism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutte\u2019s personal praise of Trump also attracted attention. Referring to Trump\u2019s decision to publish private messages between them, Rutte said, \u201cWhen President Trump is doing good stuff, I will praise him, and I don\u2019t mind him publishing text messages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comment revived criticism over Rutte\u2019s past remarks, including an instance during last year\u2019s Israel-Iran conflict when he referred to Trump as \u201cdaddy,\u201d a phrase Trump later used to defend his own foreign policy decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles Michel, the former president of the European Council, seized on the episode to mock Rutte\u2019s stance. \u201cDear Mark Rutte, you\u2019re wrong. Europe will defend itself. And Donald Trump is not my daddy,\u201d Michel said, calling instead for \u201cvision, courage and leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the controversy, Rutte used his appearance in Parliament to underline NATO\u2019s ongoing efforts to support Ukraine, including military assistance and humanitarian aid. He highlighted initiatives aimed at strengthening Ukraine\u2019s ability to withstand Russia\u2019s continued attacks on energy infrastructure during winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also welcomed increased European defense investment and stressed that NATO and EU efforts must remain complementary rather than competitive. Rutte noted that non-EU NATO allies play an indispensable role in collective defense and warned against initiatives that could fragment existing security structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy argument will be, let\u2019s be practical, let\u2019s be realistic when it comes to our security,\u201d Rutte said. \u201cWe need to leverage our respective strengths\u2026 that\u2019s the only way to keep Europe safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Europe debates its strategic future, Rutte\u2019s remarks have laid bare a fundamental divide: whether the continent\u2019s security is best guaranteed through deeper autonomy or continued reliance on the transatlantic partnership that has underpinned European defence for nearly eight decades.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"NATO<\/a>
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Volkel Air Base, Netherlands. (Image Credit: NATO)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has triggered a sharp political backlash across Europe after bluntly dismissing calls for the continent to pursue strategic independence from the United States in security and defense matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"everybody","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[6,288,24,357,64,880,5,59,108,71,113,7],"class_list":["post-33828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-defense","tag-denmark","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-france","tag-greenland","tag-military","tag-nato","tag-nuclear","tag-politics","tag-security","tag-u-s"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/NATO-Secretary-General-Rutte-Hague-Summit.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8NC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33828"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33833,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33828\/revisions\/33833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}