Rutte: I am convinced that the US fully stands behind NATO

(Patria) - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte insisted on Saturday that the US remains fully committed to the alliance, resisting calls for Europe to pursue military independence from Washington.

"I am absolutely convinced that the US fully stands behind NATO. There is no doubt about that," Rutte told the German news agency DPA.

However, Rutte acknowledged that European countries must take greater responsibility for their own defense, including increasing military spending.

He stressed that this should happen in close cooperation with the US and within the transatlantic framework of NATO.

Concerns in Europe have intensified since the Trump administration announced its new National Security Strategy earlier this month. The 33-page document warns that the continent faces civilizational erasure.

It also signaled a major shift in US foreign policy, stating that the days when the US supported the entire world order like Atlas are over and that Washington will turn away from Europe towards the Western Hemisphere.

The strategy also called for re-establishing strategic stability with Moscow, despite Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and accusations from EU countries that the Kremlin is conducting a broader hybrid warfare campaign against the bloc.

Despite concerns, Rutte said that the US remains fully committed to NATO and will continue its military engagement in Europe.

He said that most of the alliance's economic and military power lies outside the EU, mainly in the US, emphasizing the continued importance of transatlantic cooperation.