NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Friday rejected calls for the European Union to become independent of the United States on defense matters, telling the German news agency dpa he's "absolutely convinced that the United States stands fully behind NATO."
"There is no doubt about that," he told the news outlet.
Manfred Weber, president of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, has argued that Europe must be prepared to act more independently.
"We cannot seriously expect [President Donald] Trump to secure a peace solution on his own with American GIs," Weber told Germany's Funke Media Group on Friday, referring to U.S. troops.
The Trump administration earlier this month released a new National Security Strategy that called for European nations to take "primary responsibility" for their own defense.
It also accused the European Union of suffocating political freedom, cautioned that some NATO countries were on track to become "majority non-European," and urged the United States to side with "patriotic European parties" — a thinly veiled reference to Europe's far-right movements.
The document also signaled a major shift in U.S. foreign policy, saying "the days of the U.S. propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over," and that Washington will pivot away from Europe toward the Western Hemisphere.
Rutte praised Weber but said he held a different view.
"Let's not forget that when it comes to Europe [and] NATO, there is more than the EU."
Trump has repeatedly blasted NATO allies for failing to meet the alliance's agreed-upon goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense, arguing that American taxpayers were underwriting Europe's security while many countries treated defense like an optional subscription.
But multiple NATO members have significantly increased defense spending, adding hundreds of billions of dollars collectively.
Even NATO leadership acknowledged that Trump's relentless pressure accelerated commitments that had been ignored for years.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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