NATO Secretary-General Rutte says Europe needs US | Political News

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told EU lawmakers on Monday that if they suppose that Europe or the EU can defend itself without the U.S., they need to “keep on dreaming.” 

Rutte defended working with the U.S. and President Donald Trump amid the president’s want to annex Greenland, the self-governing Arctic nation that is under NATO member Denmark. NATO, which consists of international locations from Europe and North America, abides by Article 5, which states that every nation must come to defend its NATO member when its territory is under risk.

“And if 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’t. We can’t. We need each other,” Rutte said on Monday in Brussels.

After flying into Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, Trump announced he would no longer impose tariffs after reaching a new “framework” about Greenland.

A earlier article from The Mirror US also famous that the U.S. taking control of Greenland from Denmark was not mentioned during conferences between Rutte and Trump after Greenland’s framework was announced.

Rutte also said Trump was “completely proper” about needing to increase security in the Arctic region, as non-NATO countries China and Russia become a threat.

“The sea lanes are opening up more and more for the Russians and the Chinese and other adversaries to be active there, which is potentially a threat,” Rutte said.

Rutte said NATO’s priority is to protect the Arctic region. He praised Trump’s leadership in getting NATO countries like Canada to pay more money for the alliance’s defenses.

European nations and Canada agreed to Trump’s demand that they invest the same percentage of their economic output on defense as the United States within 10 years at NATO’s summit in The Hague back in July. The countries pledged to spend 3.5% of gross domestic product on core defense, and a further 1.5% on security-related infrastructure. That’s a total of 5% of GDP by 2035.

“If you really want to go it alone,” Rutte said, “forget that you can ever get there with 5%. It will be 10%. You have to build up your own nuclear capability. That costs billions and billions of Euros.”

Rutte brought up the same point about Europe and Canada increasing its spending at Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” on Jan. 21, according to reporting from the Mirror US

At Davos, Trump remained persistent that Greenland was needed for U.S. national security. He also said he would not take Greenland by force.

A Danish Defense Ministry spokesperson said in a statement that it will continue to strengthen military presence in Greenland amid talks of annexation.

“We will continue to strengthen our military presence in Greenland, but we will also have an even greater focus within NATO on more exercises and an increased NATO presence in the Arctic. There is consensus among NATO allies that the alliance must assume greater responsibility for security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic” the Danish Defense Ministry spokesperson told Military.com.