NATO chief Mark Rutte said that tensions between Europe and the United States over trade issues under President Donald Trump will not affect the alliance’s collective deterrence, reports Al Jazeera.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Monday, Rutte also dismissed any notion that Europe could abandon its security relationship with the US. NATO’s secretary-general said a European defence strategy without Washington would be a “silly thought”.
“We have to stay connected,” Rutte told reporters, citing geopolitical “threats”, including Russia.
“The best thing the West can do is to stay united, and I know that the same thinking is still prevalent in the US, including in the White House,” he added.
Rutte made the comments after Trump has often accused Washington’s NATO partners of not spending enough on defence and threatened not to protect them in case of attack.
Many European members of the bloc have recently moved to raise their defence spending to 2 percent of their gross domestic products (GDPs), NATO’s current minimum recommendation. However, Trump demanded an enormous hike last month, calling for spending of 5 percent of their GDPs.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
