‘Good luck without USA, you can't defend…’: NATO chief gives Europe a brutal reality check
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte delivers a stark warning that Europe cannot defend itself without the United States, dismissing calls for full European defence autonomy as unrealistic. He says doubling defence spending and building independent capabilities would cost billions and take years—and still fall short without US support. Rutte’s blunt reality check comes amid tensions in NATO over strategic autonomy and recent transatlantic disputes.