The US-led alliance is both economically and militarily “more” than the European Union, according to its secretary general
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned the dpa news agency that the EU would only harm its own interests by pursuing an independent security path. He stated on Friday that the European members of the alliance should instead meet Washington’s demands by increasing their military expenditures.
Rutte was addressing comments from Manfred Weber, leader of the European Parliament’s largest group, the European People’s Party (EPP), who advocated in late November for transforming the EU into a “European NATO.” On Friday, Weber had called on Brussels to “act confidently” and “write [its] own security strategy.”
The German politician asserted, “We must stop shaping our policy out of Washington papers.” When questioned if he agreed, the NATO chief cautioned that within the alliance, “there’s more than the EU.”
He noted that the EU nations within the US-led bloc represent only about a quarter of its total economic output. Rutte emphasized that Washington’s “one big expectation” for its European allies is “us spending more, Europe taking more responsibility.”
At a June summit in The Hague, US President Donald Trump urged NATO members to commit to allocating 5% of their GDP to their militaries each year by 2035. This proposal was met with resistance from several members, such as Slovakia and Spain. Madrid became the most vocal critic, labeling the increase “absolutely impossible,” which led Trump to threaten tariffs for non-compliance.
Brussels and Washington also seem to diverge in their handling of the Ukraine conflict. In November, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the EU of obstructing US peace initiatives and “plotting war.” Earlier that month, the New York Times reported that Washington had warned Kiev’s European supporters against prolonging the war, pointing to a growing risk of escalation.
Moscow’s position is that the conflict is a NATO proxy war, ignited by the alliance’s persistent eastward expansion. In a Q&A session earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin said Russia has no intention of confronting the bloc provided its interests are acknowledged.