Rutte warns Europe against forming defense alliance without U.S.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte cautioned European leaders that a defence alliance built without the United States would be financially crippling and would forfeit the security guarantee provided by the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Rutte explained that such a scenario would require members to spend about 10 % of their gross domestic product on defence and to develop their own deterrence capability, costing billions of euros. He urged euro‑parliamentarians that Europe cannot realistically replace the U.S. role and wished them “good luck” with the endeavour.