NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has stated that without the involvement of the United States, European nations would not be able to defend themselves. In an address to the European Parliament, Rutte argued that the only way for European states to become self-sufficient would be to increase defence expenditure by 10% while also expanding their nuclear capacity, which would require billions more.
Speaking to VOC News, Dr Emmanuel Matambo, research director at the Centre for China-Africa Studies, said Rutte is partially correct, given the financial contribution of the US to NATO.
Matambo, however, argues that the larger controversy lies in Rutte’s routine rhetoric praising former President Trump, pointing to a message Trump revealed in which Rutte commended Trump’s actions in Iran.
“What I think has unsettled people is how Mark Rutte has positioned himself as a pro-Trump European. Trump disclosed private messages that Rutte had written to him, in which he praised Trump for bombing Iran, describing it as ‘extraordinary.’ That is why many people say that while he is realistic about Europe’s struggles to defend itself, he has been somewhat too pro-Trump for the rest of Europe, especially considering how insulting Trump has been to NATO,” stated Matambo.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
