Mark Rutte: EU needs NATO alliance protection from China and Russia

(Patria) – The European Union needs protection from China and Russia, stated Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in an address to the Dutch Atlantic Association on Friday.

Rutte advocates for an increase in the EU budget for participation in the NATO alliance because, as he claims, 'we cannot guarantee our own security'.

He therefore believes that the EU should meet the demands of US President Donald Trump and maintain a good relationship with the US: 'We may not like it, but the times when Europe could hide under the American security umbrella for very little money are behind us,' Rutte emphasized, referring to the US President's demand that NATO members, especially those from the EU, increase their contribution to the alliance's budget.

The last increase in contributions occurred in 2014, amounting to 2% of the member states' gross domestic product for the period until 2024.

The costs of the Dutch army have increased by up to 25% since 2014, but have only reached 1.2% of the country's GDP.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government intends to further increase defense spending, but 'it will not reach 2% by 2024,' claims the prime minister.

The US is the member that contributes the most to the NATO alliance budget with 22%, writes Euronews.