NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte does not believe that the European Union should become completely independent from the United States in defense matters, despite the current course of the US President Donald Trump's administration, UNN writes with reference to dpa.
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The United States expects Europe to take on more responsibility and spend more money on defense, Rutte said in a recent interview with dpa.
"I am absolutely convinced that the US is fully involved [in] NATO. Without a doubt. There was one big expectation. Indeed, we will spend more, Europe will take on more responsibility," Rutte said. However, ultimately, it was about doing it together with the US, he said.
The former Prime Minister of the Netherlands mentioned the June NATO summit in The Hague, where all allies agreed to increase defense-related spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
"I think that this is still one of President Trump's biggest foreign policy victories, these 5%, a clear commitment to produce more," Rutte said.
Manfred Weber, leader of the conservative European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, called for the EU to evolve into a "European NATO," arguing that the US could no longer be relied upon without limitations.
While praising Weber, Rutte said he held a different view. "Let's not forget that when it comes to Europe (and) NATO, it's more than just the EU," Rutte said.
Acknowledging the importance of the EU, Rutte noted that the 23 bloc countries that are part of NATO provide only about a quarter of the alliance's total economic output.
"Seventy-five percent are still outside the EU," he said, referring to NATO members such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, and the United States.