Mark Rutte, NATO's secretary-general, acknowledged that US president Donald Trump was doing the most fair thing, demanding greater defence spending from European allies.
— He is right, of course, that the problem is not the United States and Europe," said Rutte at a gathering on Ukraine at the planet economical Forum on Thursday, after Trump's key ally, Richard Grenell, criticized him for his Dutch defence spending and his own achievements at the head of the Dutch government.
Grenell, now Trump's presidential envoy for “special missions”, said on Thursday, that NATO should not accept Ukraine into a transatlantic military alliance, until its members begin to meet the group's defence spending targets.
EPA/JIM LO SCALZO / PAPRichard Grenell at the Republican organization Convention. Milwaukee, 17 July 2024.
“We have a NATO secretary-general who talks about joining Ukraine with NATO,” said Grenell to a panel in Davos, joined remotely from Los Angeles. “Americans are the ones who pay for defense. You can't ask Americans to extend NATO's umbrella erstwhile current members do not pay their due share. Including the Dutch, who must increase their efforts.
“When [...] we have leaders who are going to talk about expanding numbers, we request to make certain that these leaders themselves spend adequate money,” he added.
Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russian president Vladimir Putin for years, so far unsuccessfully presses for admission to NATO.
"2% is not enough"
When Rutte was Prime Minister of the Netherlands, his country regularly did not comply with the work to devote 2% of GDP to defence as part of NATO. However, now that he himself directs the most powerful military alliance in the world, he has changed his approach.
— besides partially thanks to Trump, possibly even to a large extent, We see this increase in NATO spending on the European side “The NATO chief said.
— He felt that, in principle, the United States was getting the incorrect offer, and Europe was fundamentally backing its social model, wellness care system, pension system, and We are underfunded in the field of defence. The problem is, of course, that we have not yet reached the level of 2%. This is problem number one. Problem number 2 is that 2% is not enough," Rutte said.
– We're safe now, but NATO won't be able to defend itself. within 4 or 5 years, if we stick to 2 percent now," he added, among the fears that increasingly aggressive Putin could draw his attention to the attack on NATO associate country.
“The enemy is Vladimir Putin”
In your own his own speech in Davos at the beginning of this week, shortly after Trump's inauguration as president of the United States, Volodymyr Zelenski in a strong speech He made allegations against Europe, saying that the continent “must accelerate” and “learn to take care of itself so that the planet cannot ignore it”.
Halil Sagirkaya / Anadolu/ABACAPRESS.COM / PAPpresident of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski during the planet economical Forum in Davos, 21 January 2025.
Trump has repeatedly pressured NATO allies to spend more in defense, He discussed the withdrawal of the US from the transatlantic military alliance, suggested new, massive military spending targets, and during the 2024 election run he even said that “encouraged” Russia to attack NATO countriesThat don't pay enough.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo besides participated in the Thursday breakfast panel in Davos and took advantage of the chance to remind allies to focus little on each other's actionsMore like a real black character.
“The enemy is Vladimir Putin. The enemy is outside.. He's not inside. And I see quite a few finger pointing... This is not helpful, De Croo pointed out.
