NATO Chief Mark Rutte Says Europe Must Take Greater Responsibility For Its Own Defence| Video

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday (May 22 IST) reiterated his long-held view that Europe must take on a greater share of responsibility for its own defence, arguing that the continent's heavy dependence on the United States for security is unsustainable in the long run.

Speaking about the future of the transatlantic alliance and Europe's security posture, Rutte said it was unusual that one of the world's wealthiest regions continued to rely so heavily on American military support to defend itself against potential threats from Russia.

"I always felt that it is strange that a very rich part of the world, Europe is a very rich, maybe the richest part of the world, needs the support of another part of the world to defend itself against the Russians, to the extent it has now, where we are over-reliant on one ally being the United States," Rutte said.

The NATO chief stressed that the alliance was moving towards a more balanced arrangement in which European nations would assume a larger role in safeguarding the continent, while maintaining close strategic ties with Washington.

"And what you will see over the coming years is a more equal, is a shift, a gradual shift, where the Europeans take this bigger responsibility. With the United States firmly anchored in the transatlantic relationship," he added.

Rutte's remarks come amid ongoing discussions within NATO over burden-sharing, defence spending and Europe's preparedness to address security challenges posed by Russia.