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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has issued a stark warning to European nations, saying they should “keep on dreaming” if they believe they can defend themselves without American support.
Speaking to committees of the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday, Rutte emphasized the interdependence of the United States and Europe in matters of security.
“If anyone thinks here again that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t. We need each other,” he said.
Rutte cautioned that Europe would have to drastically increase defence spending—potentially to 10 percent of GDP—if it sought to operate independently. He also noted that developing an independent nuclear capability would cost billions of euros.
“In that scenario, you will lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. So hey, good luck,” he added.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions following US President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, which he suggested could be purchased by the United States. Trump later ruled out the use of force during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, but his comments drew global attention to Arctic security.
Rutte acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, praising Trump for highlighting the strategic importance of the Arctic, even if his remarks annoyed some lawmakers.
“I think he’s right. There is an issue with the Arctic region. There is an issue of collective security, because these sea lanes are opening up, and because the Chinese and the Russians are more and more active,” Rutte said.
Looking ahead, Rutte said NATO would pursue two key workstreams regarding Greenland. The first involves strengthening collective responsibility for defending the Arctic to limit military and economic influence by Russia and China. The second will see trilateral talks between the US, Denmark, and Greenland continue, though Rutte emphasized he has no mandate to negotiate on Denmark’s behalf.
Earlier this month, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeld met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Rasmussen described the discussions as “constructive” but noted a “fundamental disagreement” remained.
The following week in Davos, Trump claimed he had reached a framework for a Greenland deal with Rutte. He subsequently reversed plans to impose tariffs on European countries that opposed his ambitions in Greenland, keeping the NATO secretary general in the global spotlight, though the details of the framework remain unclear.
Rutte’s candid remarks highlight the critical dependence of European security on the US and underline the geopolitical importance of the Arctic region amid growing activity by Russia and China.
