NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on 26 January 2026 that European NATO member states should form a defence alliance independent of the United States. Rutte said the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and other European members could collaborate on strategic security and respond to threats such as the recent Russian submarine near Greenland without US involvement. The statement was made during a press briefing in Brussels. The speech was met with mixed reactions from European leaders who support stronger NATO cooperation but also from those wary of reducing US support. The announcement follows NATO’s alert after a Russian nuclear‑powered submarine approached strategic waters off Greenland, prompting heightened readiness across the alliance.

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