NATO Chief Says Europe Cannot Defend Itself Without U.S. Military and Nuclear Support

Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned European lawmakers that without American backing, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, the continent would face overwhelming financial and strategic obstacles to self-defense.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned European Union leaders on Monday that Europe is incapable of defending itself without the United States’ military support and nuclear deterrence, cautioning that any attempt to do so independently would require unprecedented spending and fundamental strategic changes.

Speaking to European lawmakers in Brussels, Rutte said the alliance’s security architecture remains heavily dependent on U.S. power, particularly amid rising geopolitical tensions. His remarks come after weeks of heightened friction following President Donald Trump’s public consideration of annexing Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark. Trump later stepped back from the use of military force after establishing a framework agreement last week aimed at acquiring the territory.

Rutte, who met with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, said European nations would need to dramatically increase defense spending if they sought to operate without U.S. support.

“If anyone thinks here … that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte said, according to the Associated Press.

Rutte said that even raising defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product would be insufficient if Europe chose to act alone.

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

He warned that abandoning reliance on the United States would strip Europe of what he described as its ultimate security guarantee.

“[Europe] would lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the U.S. nuclear umbrella,” Rutte said. “So, hey, good luck!”

NATO leaders agreed in June to significantly increase defense spending targets, committing to allocate 3.5 percent of GDP to core defense and an additional 1.5 percent to defense-related infrastructure by 2035. Rutte said even those commitments fall short of what would be required for Europe to independently match U.S. military capabilities.

His comments underscore ongoing concerns within NATO over burden-sharing, deterrence, and the alliance’s long-term dependence on American military power as geopolitical pressures intensify.