He Opines That European Allies Were “A Bit Slow,” Though He Highlights Their Initiatives to Ensure Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has acknowledged that tensions exist among the partners of the Atlantic Alliance and that all of them are aware of the “profound change” the organization is undergoing under the “leadership” of Donald Trump; however, he has maintained that European allies are—”almost without exception”—doing “everything the United States is asking” regarding the conflict in the Middle East.
He made these assertions in a speech delivered before participating in a discussion forum organized by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Washington, D.C. During the event, the NATO chief once again noted that there is a “change in mindset” among European allies, who now understand the need to transition from an “unhealthy codependence” to a transatlantic alliance “based on a true partnership” with the United States.
“This alliance does not pretend that nothing is happening… Allies recognize—and I recognize—that we are in a period of profound change within the Transatlantic Alliance,” Rutte stated in his first public remarks since Trump threatened to withdraw from NATO, citing the alliance’s failure to be present when he needed it during his offensive against Iran.
According to the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, “some allies were a bit slow” when Washington requested logistical support regarding Iran—”to put it mildly.” In fairness, he continued, “they were also somewhat surprised,” as the Trump administration had not given them advance notice of the joint offensive launched alongside Israel on February 28.
Despite this, Rutte maintained that what he observes today is that European allies “are now providing a massive amount of support,” whether in terms of logistics or by allowing the use of their military bases. “Almost without exception, the allies are doing everything the United States is asking,” he added.
He cited as an example the fact that allies are collaborating to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to reduce its capacity for destabilization. Among them, he singled out the United Kingdom for “leading a coalition to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” and other European allies for leading “operations on the eastern flank, in the Baltic, and in the Arctic.”
“When a Russian aircraft crossed into Estonian airspace, it was European jets that intercepted it. And when Russian drones entered Poland, it was a Dutch F-35 that shot them down. An alliance cannot be a one-way street. It wasn’t one when American, European, and Canadian troops fought together in Afghanistan. And today, they continue to train and deploy together,” he added.
“NO TURNING BACK” ON SPENDING
The head of the Atlantic Alliance also noted that since last year’s NATO summit in The Hague—where members agreed to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense spending—”Europe is shouldering a larger and fairer share of the task of providing for its conventional defense.”
“There will be no turning back from that—nor should there be,” stated the Dutch politician, expressing confidence that “a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO” will not take for granted American leadership. In his view, such leadership was taken for granted by European countries following the end of the Cold War, when—”convinced that peace was permanent”—they believed there was no need for the defense investment “that is now known to be essential.”
